Desperation

It is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.

- Henry David Thoreau

I look around and see the depravity that some individuals have reached and the heights that others have achieved. The notion that a person can find happiness by taking lottery winning actions, i.e. doing those things that will either give them a measure of success or return absolutely nothing is dangerous at best.

The Enron scandals of a few years ago clearly demonstrate this. Similar attitudes are to be found in foundering politicians and leaders of many fallen businesses. Placing faith in desperate and unlikely sources is a dangerous and generally unwise thing to do.

Wisdom

Every man is a damn fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.

-Elbert Hubbard

This really struck me in terms of reflection. I know that as for myself I'm not the brightest light on the Christmas tree, but I do shine when I can. I think that all too often we don't give ourselves enough credit for the good things that we do and allow ourselves to behave foolishly to try to cover up our own inadequacies.

For those that don't know Elbert Hubbard, he was an author and editor in the early 20th century. He was known for his quotations, especially his satire and whimsy.