Cultivating a Sense of Proportion

For some people, a primary goal in life is to enjoy its treasures, such as beauty, goodness, harmony, and wisdom. These qualities have balance and symmetry and show little or no trace of excess.  If they are tainted by extremes or become disproportionate, they acquire opposite characteristics; for example, when distorted, beauty turns to ugliness, goodness to evil, harmony to disharmony, and wisdom to folly. Cultivating a fine sense of proportion in our thoughts and deeds is key to attaining a dazzling mind. This way of thinking provides us rich insights and perfects our judgement.

Balance and proportion are found abundantly in nature. Notice the beautiful geometrical patterns of snowflakes or the majestic display of colors in a rainbow. The multi cellular pattern of a honeycomb and the intricate design of a maple leaf also show symmetry in nature. Over the centuries, artists have embodied this symmetry into their works by freely imitating patterns found in nature.

A Crown is No Cure for a Headache

The above title is the possible path to being a finer person.  Imagine wearing a crown of diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.  The crown symbolizes much of what this world has to offer: fame, wealth, and power. Through history, there has always been an intense competition to pursuer these three goals, even if it meant trampling on the toes of others.  Although highly sought after, the crown has definite limits. It cannot do for you what a simple aspirin can do; it is incapable of curing your headache.

Still, the wish to possess goods is a powerful urge.  It stems from the fear of being denied our necessities, and hence a quest for unlimited security.

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This point is illustrated in the story of two children who stole food to avert the pangs of hunger.  Despite being subsequently rescued and fed, they brazenly continued to steal food.  Memories of constant hunger had made a lasting imprint that they couldn’t overcome.

Similarly, a question to ponder is why some millionaires, having suffered poverty during their childhood, spend their adult lives aggressively accumulating even more wealth.  Part of the answer lies in a never-ending acquisitive urge and another in the fact that a crown is no cure for a headache.  In other words, we need spiritual values to sustain us with lasting satisfaction in a materialistic world.

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I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my book.  I will be posting more excerpts in future posts, so please come back.  Click here to buy your copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight from Amazon today.

An Ancient Formula for Modern Times

The world is full of formulas ranging from suggestions for good health and achieving success in life.  Here is in my opinion one such formula for happiness.

The ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus presented a different perspective. His formula for inner contentment placed a higher priority on goals that are realistic and attainable and a lesser priority on goals that are unrealistic and more difficult to achieve. He did not rule out the latter, but emphasized pursuit of the former. In today’s parlance, Epictetus would say that it is good to have dreams, but our feet must be firmly planted on the ground. Thus, a desire to be an artist is a realistic goal, but a desire to be an overnight success is unrealistic.

We can also view the practical wisdom of Epictetus as a balance between needs and wants. Needs refer to our basic requirements for food, clothing, and shelter, which we must satisfy for our survival. Wants refer to our fancied desires, where satisfaction is not crucial, though we may consider it so. Bread is a need, but venison and wine are wants. Water is a need, but champagne is a want. A warm coat is a need, but a mink is a want. Actually, only a mink needs a mink.

What is note worthy about this formula is that it is provoking. 

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I hope you have enjoyed this excerpt from my book.  I will be posting more excerpts in future posts, so please come back.  Click here to buy your copy of A Book of Wisdom and Delight from Amazon today.