If you could live by one rule, what would it be?

[hypatia_]

:biggrin5:

[cacian]

no rule is my rule.:)

[Emil Miller]

Never give a sucker an even break.

[hypatia_]

Never give a sucker an even break.

so you think it's important people learn from their mistakes above all else?

[Calidore]

Try not to be the kind of person who makes rules necessary.

[Emil Miller]

so you think it's important people learn from their mistakes above all else?

Well yes, even though it's a mildly sarcastic reference to an ancient Hollywood movie title but, on a more serious note, I would replace it with 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' which, when I was 20 I would have dismissed as a cynical attempt to maintain the status quo; but what does one know at twenty? Now, having learned from that mistake, I can see the truth in the statement.

[Silas Thorne]

If you live by one rule, you would die regretting the things you didn't do in following that rule.

[Darcy88]

Live for truth, beauty and love, and advance some way each day towards the achievement of your goals.

[cafolini]

If you live by one rule, you would die regretting the things you could have done by not following that rule.

Silas, I never thought of you as being so absolutely correct. Can you take it? Maybe LitNet did you a lot of good.

Replace "could have done" with "didn't do" and it would be what you mean. Eliminate the "not." LOL Damned duality!!

[cafolini]

I knew what you meant, Silas. It is very difficult to eliminate duality.
I finally came out with a possible one.
By following that one rule you would die regretting not having done the things the rule did not allow.

[hypatia_]

If you live by one rule, you would die regretting the things you didn't do in following that rule.

I like this, and to expand, I find that people who live by one rule in general are fairly intolerant, egotistical, and douchebags in general.

[cafolini]

I knew what you meant, Silas. It is very difficult to eliminate duality.
I finally came out with a possible one.
By following that one rule you would die regretting not having done the things the rule did not allow.

Still we are confronted with a defect. Is it would or could? The fact is that in using could, there is the possibility that you might not care at all about the outcome.

But there is more to this question Hypathia poses. A brain is capable of about one thousand impulses per second. You tell me where you are going to find the person that can hold the one rule without violating it unconsciously. The question is a puton. But she wanted to expand on it. LOL

[hypatia_]

Still we are confronted with a defect. Is it would or could? The fact is that in using could, there is the possibility that you might not care at all about the outcome.

But there is more to this question Hypathia poses. A brain is capable of about one thousand impulses per second. You tell me where you are going to find the person that can hold the one rule without violating it unconsciously. The question is a puton. But she wanted to expand on it. LOL

Interesting. Do you think that unconscious thinking can violate moral doctrine set in place by the conscious?

[JuniperWoolf]

Know Thyself.

[hypatia_]

Easier Said Than Done!

[*Classic*Charm*]

What it WOULD be: To thine own self be true.

What it is: Failure is not an option.

[cafolini]

Know Thyself.

Actually, not much effort is required for that. The big effort is required not to know oneself. But that's just one rule, not THE RULE.

[hypatia_]

Actually, not much effort is required for that. The big effort is required not to know oneself. But that's just one rule, not THE RULE.

are you referring to the whole "if you're trying at it, you're already doing it wrong"

[stlukesguild]

http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/the-ten-commandments/n10508/

MY favorite rule... from the above "translation" of the Ten Commandments:

"All the young girls should come to my tent..."

[Gilliatt Gurgle]

Practice patience, give cooler heads a chance to prevail.

[papayahed]

Practice patience, give cooler heads a chance to prevail.

I may adopt this one. Patience is not my friend.

[Hawkman]

Don't get caught!

[Buh4Bee]

Golden rule or more realistically- Keep my mouth and maintain composure!

[Volya]

Our English teacher told us in our final lesson with him, as his parting words of wisdom - 'Don't be a b*****d'. Seems like a pretty good rule to live your life by in my opinion.

[cacian]

don't be true be you! I think that sums life up.

[qimissung]

Neither incite fear in others nor fear anyone yourself.

[Paulclem]

One rule?

The metre.

[qimissung]

lol. Or can it be a ring, as in one ring to rule them all?

[Paulclem]

lol. Or can it be a ring, as in one ring to rule them all?

That's a better one. :lol:

[Scheherazade]

Say out loud (or post) only the 10% of the things that come to your mind.

[Helga]

I rule

[Hawkman]

lol. Or can it be a ring, as in one ring to rule them all?


That's a better one. :lol:

Always say - Thank you! :D

[qimissung]

One rule?

The metre.

I remember when I was in elementary school, and our teacher told us that instead of inches and feet and miles and gallons, etc., we would one day use kilometers and litres. I remember being astounded. But guess what? Lo all these years later, except for liters, not so much.

[qimissung]

I rule

:lol:

I thought that was cats. Cats rule, dogs drool.

[cafolini]

I rule

Obviously, if there is only one rule, one must rule.

[Ecurb]

Always carry rope (per Sam Gamgee).

[Hawkman]

No hangman should ever be without one :lol:

[Buh4Bee]

Keep your wits about you under all circumstances. (Keep your **** together, always.)

[cacian]

be clever at all time if ever you are going to need it :leaving:

[cacian]

try light because hard is..... well....tard :gnorsi:

[Sido]

Never give up without doing your best.

[Ecurb]

Never give up without doing your best.

This reminds me of an adage with which I have never concurred: "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well."

Why? Mightn't it be worth learning how to ride a bicycle, without any ambition of becoming Alberto Contador? Couldn't one wish to learn to swim without wanting to be Michael Phelps? In general, if something is worth doing, it's worth doing BADLY. In fact, when you start learning how to do it, you cannot do it other than badly. In addition, a great many things are worth doing, but who would want to spend 6 hours a day swimming laps (like Michael Phelps) in order to swim well. It's worth learning to swim, for both safety and pleasure, but it's not worth learning to swim well because its a bore and a waste of time.

None of us ever "does our best" at ANYTHING. We could always do better. Nonetheless, we should continue to muddle through, writing things without the endless revision that would constitute "doing our best", playing games without the endless training and study that would constitute "doing our best" and reading books as quickly or as carefully as we see fit, without worrying about whether we have given up studying them before we have given them our best effort.

[Sido]

This reminds me of an adage with which I have never concurred: "If something is worth doing, it's worth doing well."

Why? Mightn't it be worth learning how to ride a bicycle, without any ambition of becoming Alberto Contador? Couldn't one wish to learn to swim without wanting to be Michael Phelps? In general, if something is worth doing, it's worth doing BADLY. In fact, when you start learning how to do it, you cannot do it other than badly. In addition, a great many things are worth doing, but who would want to spend 6 hours a day swimming laps (like Michael Phelps) in order to swim well. It's worth learning to swim, for both safety and pleasure, but it's not worth learning to swim well because its a bore and a waste of time.

None of us ever "does our best" at ANYTHING. We could always do better. Nonetheless, we should continue to muddle through, writing things without the endless revision that would constitute "doing our best", playing games without the endless training and study that would constitute "doing our best" and reading books as quickly or as carefully as we see fit, without worrying about whether we have given up studying them before we have given them our best effort.

You have a point. However I cannot fully agree with it. I do not find that “Doing well” at some thing is the same as “doing your best”. When for example a student says “I wish to do well at the exams”, he would mean that he wish to score a high or good grade. This is in comparison with the general standards of things. However when someone says “I will do my best”, he is talking not about the general standards but of his personal. This could mean that he may end up being among the lowest grades in the class, however it is still to him the best he can do.

To do your best is something that changes on the present situation of the person. It’s a momentary thing and not a set standard. An artist may paint a painting today and find it to be his best piece of work yet. So for that moment in time it is his best. However this does not mean that he may not paint another tomorrow that surpasses the one he did today. When that happens, that will be his best work for that moment in time. In other words your best is really what makes that particular version of yourself feel content or satisfied at that particular moment.

As for “never give up without doing your best”, it does not mean you need to beat everyone to the top. On the contrary it means, “Do what you can do”. It may not be what others expect of you, or it may not even be what you yourself expect from you. However it the best you can do at that particular moment. And that is all there is to it.

I hope what I wrote makes sense to you :)

[Basil]

Wolves are making a comeback.

[Pensive]

Rule of thumb.:p

[Scheherazade]

"If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing."

~ Homer

[DieterM]

"There's nothing you can't solve with a nice glass of Bombay Gin."

The late Queen Mum

;-)

[Clopin]

Know Thyself.

This was going to be mine.

[Sancho]

Don't be a dick.

[Sancho]

Yeah well, I ain't there yet, but I'm working on it.
I helped a lady with a dead battery jump her car today. That was a very un-dickish thing to do, eh?