Saturday, October 7, 2017

Baltasar Gracian: a man of peace

-- 192 --

A man  of peace, a man of years;
in order to live, let live; 
 
the peaceful not only live,
but they reign;

lend your ears, and your eyes,
but hold your tongue;

the day without strife,
makes the night with its sleep;

to live long, and to live in joy,
is to live twice, and the fruit of peace;

he has everything who gives no concern
to what does not concern him;

nothing more purposeless,
than to see purpose in everything,

for it is equally stupid to break the heart
over what is not your business,

as not to set your teeth
into that which is.

-- Balthasar Gracian --
The Art of Worldly Wisdom


I think the last four couplets, beginning with "he has everything,"  are the greatest source of misery that even well-meaning people bring upon us.   Minding one's own business may be the greatest aid to peace and contentment ever conceived by the wise among us.





17 comments:

  1. hoeing one's own garden was a lot easier before the age of the internet... it's all my brother's fault...

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    1. Mudpuddle--ah, you noticed that. Yes, those brothers can be difficult at times, especially those keepers.

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    2. well, that, yes... but i was being literal... he was an early computer researcher and sent the first message from station to station on what came to be known as the web...

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    3. Mudpuddle--oh, my mistake. I didn't realize your were referring to your own brother and his involvement in the net.

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    4. that's just because i was being as usual: about as clear as mud... very nice poem, by the way... i've heard the name Baltasar Gracian, but don't know anything about him...

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    5. Mudpuddle--I must confess. It isn't a poem. It is a passage that I found in a collection of his sayings. But, as I read it, I realized there was a rhythm to it, and broke it down as you see it now.


      Below is a link to a Wikipedia article about him.

      http://tinyurl.com/gtr8n2e

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  2. These are wise words. If humans stopped trying to interfere with the benign, and persona choices of others, so much violence and human ills could be eliminated.

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    1. Eric Frank Russell, an SF author, wrote a short story, "And Then There Were None," about a quiet, peaceful, violence-free culture. Every home, every business, if I remember correctly, had the same motto prominently displayed: MYOB.

      There's probably a connection here.

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  3. Perhaps a problem lies in defining the limits of one’s own business. Individuals and nations must make difficult decisions about those limits.
    BTW, through inept folly during my pre-Nate jitters, my blog got permanently deleted. Damn my idiocy! I will resurrect it somehow — the address is null — one of these days. In the meantime, I will — like Mudpuddle — visit here, there, and beyond, minding my own business. So, let’s all keep the channels open.

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    Replies
    1. RT: i sympathize... every once in a while i push the wrong button and have to get Mr.s M to fix it... darn things anyhow...

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    2. R.T.--isn't that the problem? Too many people decide that their business involves "changing" others. They come knocking at my door regularly.

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  4. R.T.--glad to hear you escaped the storm. Sorry to hear about the blog. Will wait for your message re its reinstatement.

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    1. Fred, here is the new http address (which is slightly different from the previous version) and the first posting:
      https://informalinquiry.blogspot.com/2017/10/emily-dickinson-much-madness-is.html

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  5. Holding my tongue. There's my challenge. Like RT I think there is a balance. We need to reach out to each other but impose our views.

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    1. Sharon--That's where I have to disagree. I'm not sure what you mean precisely by reaching out, but I'm definitely opposed to imposing my views on others.

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    2. Sorry about that. I left out a crucial word. Ha, ha. I meant to write "NOT impose our views". I really should read my responses before publishing.

      By reaching out I mean what you and I and many do. We share our opinions and beliefs but without demanding or trying to legislate these beliefs on others.

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    3. Sharon--ah, OK. I was surprised when I read your message. Yes, we share at times but do not impose.

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