The Mind Matters Most
Our reaction to what is starts in our mind and ends in our actions.
The following quotes are from great thinkers of the world. Read what they said.
Respond.
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
― Albert Einstein
“Learning never exhausts the mind.”
― Leonardo da Vinci
That is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply in their mind, so that they can actually 'feel it work.' They want to try their first idea right off; and the result is they use up lots of money and lots of good material, only to find eventually that they are working in the wrong direction. We all make mistakes, and it is better to make them before we begin.
— Nikola Tesla
Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.”
― Maxwell Maltz
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
-Steve Jobs
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
-Paul
“I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.”
― Isaac Newton
The two quotes that stuck out to me out of all the quotes listed were the quote from Leonardo Da Vinci and the quote from Steve Jobs. One of the quotes I disagreed with and one of the quotes I agreed with. The quote I disagreed with was Da Vinci's quote. I strongly believe that it is at the point of exhaustion where we realize that we are doing something right. As far as learning is concerned, I believe that it is completely adequate to be exhausted in your field of learning. It is from here where we are called to push past the point of exhaustion and continue to build and structure our minds. In this case, I disagree with Da Vinci. As for Steve Jobs' quote, I felt that he nailed spot on. I am a huge sports fan and I think every single sports fan alike would agree with me that the underdog story is the easiest story to root for in sports. This relates to the way we think and the misfits that push the boundaries. If it wasn't for the underdogs that stretched the limits just a little bit, we wouldn't have any progression in our world. It takes men like Steve Jobs to assume the underdog role and break the "rules" just a little bit to make something great.
ReplyDeleteToph, I totally hear what you're saying about thinking to the point of exhaustion, but don't you ever just want to throw your hands up and say enough is enough? Life's biggest mysteries can be thought about a thousand different ways and we'd still have no ideas or explanations that could fully justify them. Thinking can be good, right, beneficial even. But, at times, I've felt like we're just playing games. We're constantly trying to think our way from point A to point B and I'm not sure that's what our existence should be dedicated to. Progression can be helpful, but do the costs sometimes outweigh the benefits? Personally, I think a little mystery should be welcomed with open arms. After all, diving into the unknown is what the misfits are all about, right? Bottom line: thinking to the point of exhaustion may be an admirable act, but there is a point at which we must draw the line. Sometimes, the best we can do is simply embrace the unknown.
DeleteI kind of agree with Kate's comment. It is absolutely true that we try to understand the universe surrounding in a extremely obsessive way that sometimes we reach a point of exhaustion. However, I believe that human's persistence is what makes our world fulfilled with technology and devices that allows us to live comfortably. If we would have stopped exploring and pushing ourselves to our limits. Our ancestors would have never discovered the American continent. Thomas Edison would have never invented the lightbulb -- it took him thousand of tries before he succeeded. In my opinion, human-kind should never stop reaching beyond our horizons and never will. Humans are "programmed" to strive for the unthinkable. After all, the thing that makes humans different from other species in the animal kingdom is imagination. We have an incredible capability to imagine our future that no one else beside us can do. If we hit a wall, we will keep hitting again until we break it and we'll be ready to break the next wall or whatever is ahead of us. What kind of world would today's society be without the struggles and point of exhaustion our ancestors have encountered. It's part of human nature to overcome these obstacles and discover as much as possible in our life. The thirst for knowledge is what drives us to progress society to a better place for everyone.
DeleteEinstein: This quote is a powerful reminder that as we grow older we begin to lose our childlike sense of wonder. Too often we become so wrapped up in our earthly lives, that we forget to stop and marvel in the beauty that is God's creation. Einstein emphasizes that we should never lose our ability to explore and question and embrace all that this world has to offer.
ReplyDeleteDa Vinci: This quote really hits home for me, especially because it's drawing closer to finals. I have felt so burnt out from school these past few weeks, that at first I looked at this quote and laughed. Learning definitely exhausts my mind. However, I think that when the learning isn't in a forced situation (like an assignment or test) and takes on more of an independent inquiry position than learning is exciting and we cannot get enough.
Tesla: I really liked the last part of Tesla's quote, "we all make mistakes, and it is better to make them before we begin." Looking at this quote I cannot help but think of our Christian walk and how human nature is inherently sinful. We all make mistakes, we all sin, and we all do things we are not very proud of. However, Jesus was sent to die on the cross so that we would be saved from these sins. He was sent before our birth to pardon our mistakes and give us a path towards righteousness and Him. In a way, Tesla's quote is analogous of Jesus Christ and his mission on Earth. God the creator knew that human nature would be inherently sinful and sent his Son as the "fix" to our future mistakes.
Maltz: I am not sure I entirely agree with Maltz's outlook on emptiness. I don't think that emptiness is merely the symptom of a lack of motivation towards a goal. I think emptiness can manifest itself in many ways. One could feel emotionally, physically, or existentially empty. Human beings are social creatures and to limit the definition of emptiness to a lack of goals and motivation is ignorant. A motivated, hardworking, and career oriented person can still feel empty despite the fact that he has goals and is working to achieve them. The only way one can truly feel full is to find the love of Christ. With the motivation of salvation and good works, a person can feel full in both their spiritual, personal, and academic life.
ReplyDeleteJobs: I completely agree with Jobs! The people who change the world are the ones who are strong enough to defy the standards of society. The ones who stand up for what is right, even if it means they will face punishment. When I think of this quote, I immediately think of Rosa Parks, who despite the fact that it was "illegal" for African Americans to sit in the front of the bus, she did it anyway! And the response to her actions changed society immensely! Suddenly the civil rights movement was fully fledged with sit-ins, bus boycotts, and peace rallies. Her courage to be different and to challenge social inequity is what helped create the racially tolerant, integrated, and accepting society that we live in today.
Paul: The idea of thinking about praiseworthy things often is something that I have worked hard to incorporate into my personal relationship with Christ. It is so easy to look at things in this world and take them for granted, or even worse, to believe the world owes you these things. Whenever something great happens I cannot help but thank God for all the ways that he blesses my life. I think Paul is reminding the disciples and the church of the importance of giving thanks and praise to the Lord for all of the amazing things he does for them.
ReplyDeleteNewton: Newton's quote reminds us that there is a lot that we do not know about our world. Each advancement we make is merely a glimpse into the possibilities that this world has to offer. This quote is also a good reminder to humble ourselves and remember how small we are. God has created such a huge complex world for us, and without him we wouldn't exist. We need to make sure that we glorify the creator and not our own creations. We need to remember our place in this world and allow ourselves to give thanks and praise to the Lord who created it.
These are just some of my own thoughts and ramblings on these quotes. Let me know if you all have other opinions or things to add to my perspective.
-Maggie Collins
The quote that impacted me the most was from Nikola Tesla. I believe what he is saying, is on point. Most of the time we are rushing things, we do not have patience, and we want to find the fastest was to get things done. Brilliance takes patience, and our mind need patience. If we rush ourselves, do not give our minds time, we will find fault in what we are doing. I think that his thought of making our mistakes before doing them is, the right way of thinking. Why waste money, time, and energy on rushing things to get them wrong. I am not saying that we will always fail if we rush, but I do believe it is better to double check, have patience, and understand what we are doing.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with what you said. Especially now that we are living in a fast paced technological era, we want everything to happen instantly. If an website does not load in a second, we get impatient. I especially agree with when you say that "brilliance takes patience, and our minds need patience." Rushing ourselves can cause more errors and therefore taking longer than if we took our time. There is a popular quote that states, "a moment of patience in a moment of anger or saves a thousand moments of regret."
DeleteDakota,
DeleteI completely agree. How many times have you finished a project as quickly as possible and ended up doing poorly on it? For me, more times than I could count. To do great things, one needs patience and persistence. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I am struck by the work that is implied through all these quotes and it is reinforced in my mind time and time again that humans are not made for idleness, physically and mentally.
ReplyDeleteMaxell Maltz's speaks to this as he diagnoses emptiness as a symptom of not living creatively or working towards a goal. Being passionate about something doesn't just happen, it takes effort.
Albert Einstein's thought makes me think of the commercial that's been on Hulu recently, I think its for a hospital, and its parent's asking when their child's "why" phase will end. I think that anyone who has spent time around a 3-4 year old has experienced the exhausting "why-ing" as a response to everything in the world. I believe Einstein is getting at that we don't ever have to leave that phase that is so typically "childlike". We continue to have the ability and are "permitted to" look at the world like a child, wondering, questioning, exploring.
Learning may be "exhausting" as any hard work worth doing usually is, but we can never reach the point where learning doesn't happen anymore. da Vinci recognizes that we can never fill our brains past capacity and that there is a point in our lives that no new information can enter the brain. Learning is what the mind was created to do, and it does it well.
I have mixed reactions to Leonardo da Vinci’s quote. I understand da Vinci’s point in saying that the mind never gets tired of learning. However, I think that learning exhausts the mind, but in a positive way. There have been experiments that suggest that the more brain activity, the thicker the myelin sheaths become and the more number of neural connections in your brain. It is like exercising. When you work out, you are bound to get tired, however you grow stronger and toned. On the contrary, if you do not work out or stop exercising, your muscles shrink and you become unhealthy. The same goes for the brain, the brain starts to shrink starting in your 20s. Therefore, I believe that you need to continuously learn so your “metabolism” grows stronger. In general, we both have the same idea about learning.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mazwell Maltz’s statement on the fact that “emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively.” If one does not have a goal or something in their life that makes them happy, then they should start thinking and exploring until they find something that makes their heart beat. This is something that everyone tries to do. Children go to school to find out what they want to do for the rest of their lives. College students often change their majors often, because they want to have an occupation that they have a passion for. Most, if not all, hope to be able to say that they lived a good life before dying. To do this, one needs to use their talents and efforts for striving toward happiness. However, I do not think that it is the only thing that causes emptiness. For example, a loss of a loved one can cause emptiness.
Paul’s quote implies that the mind matters most. It goes back to Professor Hitchcock’s statement, “When our mind is right, somehow the world we live in makes more sense.” We are what we think. Thinking about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and/or praiseworthy gives us a realistic yet optimistic point of view of the world. The world is already full of corruption, flaws, and evil. Why should we add to that by thinking about those factors of life? If one thinks about evil, they are more likely to act in such a way. Therefore, I agree with Paul’s thoughts. I aspire to stay optimistic and think positive things.
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” I love this quote for many reasons. First of all, I have this quote book that I received as a stocking stuffer from “Santa Clause” when I was in fifth grade. I forget the name of the book but it has a lot of quotes like this one in it that I didn’t understand back then, but the cover of the book was decorated in a kid-friendly way so I think that’s why I got it as a gift. ANYWAY, I was looking through the book last time I was home and noted this quote as one of my favorites. It’s just awesome and explains things full circle in this one sentence. I mean, it is Albert Einstein who said it so is that really a surprise?
ReplyDeleteThe “Pursuit of truth and beauty” to me, is the definition of curiosity. Babies crawl around, pick things up, and put them in their mouth in the pursuit of truth and hopefully beauty (otherwise they will have a bad experience, and who WANTS a bad experience?) Scientists develop theories in pursuit of truth and beauty. They aim to get at least as close to the truth as possible, and beauty comes with discovering the answer to the driving force to learn about the world.
When he says it is a “sphere of activity,” in which we are “permitted to remain children all our lives” is also interesting. The phrase “sphere of activity” could be interpreted in a few ways. Maybe he means that truth and beauty are never completely attained so even when you believe you have found either one, it will never be so and you will need to go back and figure out the process of attaining these things again, possibly in a different way. It could also mean that Once you attain truth and beauty in regards to one life aspect, the only way you can be happy is if you start over and pursue them with another aspect. This relates to the phrase talking about how because of this, “we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” This goes back to that “spherical” idea because even as an adult, you can return to your childhood and in a way, re-discover your youth. Especially in our American society, you always hear people talk about how the years go by too fast and how they would kill to be a kid again, but this phrase inspires you to embrace your life the way you are. You are going to age- it’s a fact of life. But if you are always in pursuit of truth and beauty, you will never feel old, or like you are wasting your life away. You are always working for a purpose, and that will create satisfaction in your life.
In addition to my previous comment, I'd like to add a response to Einstein's "The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.” I think there is definitely something sweet and sentimental about this quote — it's kind of a feel-good read. However, I must disagree. During my time at APU, I've found the pursuit of knowledge and truth to be among the most dangerous activities I've ever participated in. As we attempt to traverse the ambiguities lying at the heart of life, school, and faith, the pursuit of knowledge is not for the faint-hearted. To know is to be informed and empowered to take action. Children have the luxury of being oblivious to the major issues that plague our world. It is us grown-ups who know better, precisely because we've been educated. As much as I'd love to think of learning as a purely magical ad child-like process, I'm afraid I can no longer agree. Knowledge means responsibility and responsibility is about as foreign to a child as filing for taxes. Learning can be fun, inspiring, eye-opening, and empowering, but we must not forget that the more educated we become, the more equipped we are for doing something with all that new information and making a difference.
ReplyDeleteInteresting take on the quote, Kate. I happen to interpret this quote from a more metaphysical and less knowledge based view. He is speaking of the lifelong pursuit of truth and beauty, which is distinct from knowledge alone. [Note that I understand that you are not suggesting we give up seeking after truth and beauty, but here are my thoughts on his quote] As a Christian, the pursuit of truth heightens one's appreciation for the work of Christ, highlights what truth and goodness really are (in stark contrast to falsehood and evil). We can pursue beauty and find God in the midst of abject evil. One song I recently performed was written by a Jewish man in a concentration camp. He saw two Catholic priests live out Christ's love daily, and was able to compose a peace that features the latin text "where charity and love are, God is there." Yes, more knowledge leads to more responsibility, but should we not pursue truth and beauty in every area of our lives? And will it not make us seem like children, if we believe in the Truth of God and the beauty of his creation, even in the midst of a sometimes nonsensical world?
DeleteHey Ryland!
DeleteWe can definitely believe in the truth of God and the beauty of God's creation in a non-sensical world. But I believe what Kate is talking about is a responsibility that comes from this pursuit. When seeking out the truth, there are things we learn that we did not know before. These become truth's we are responsible for, and this can be dangerous, for as she said, "To know is to be informed and empowered to take action." In some situations, we don't know the true depth of affliction or suffering until we learn, read, and discover these things. For example, I recently read James Cone's book, "The Cross and the Lynching Tree," which speaks of the horrors committed against black americans throughout the times of slavery and the civil rights movement, and makes the connection between their suffering and that of Jesus on the cross. Through this book I learned things I hadn't before, and I am now responsible for letting this knowledge inform everything else in my life. That is dangerous knowledge, which is in fact necessary in order to understand the true Truth and beauty of the Cross.
Kate, I partially agree with you. I understand that being an adult might be extremely stressful. Our leisure time diminishes as our working time increases. Although, responsibility might scare most of us, who is used to live a stress free lifestyle. We cannot exempt us from growing up and running away from our problems. Learning is part of the experience as human beings. Through learning, we get inspired. We become smarter. We tend to fight for what is right. We don't let the government limit our freedom. We defeat ignorance. Generally, we tend to become better people. Knowledge is the key to unlock many secrets in our lives.
ReplyDeleteI find the first part of Maltz’ quote quite profound, “Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively.” I have never thought of emptiness and a symptom of how we live our life. I used to see emptiness as a result of not having something, or not having enough of something (thanks capitalism!), or even not being good enough. But if emptiness comes from not living life a certain way, then that has many positive implications. We live in a culture of comparison. Everything becomes about who is the best, the smartest, the strongest, the hottest, the happiest. None of these are bad, but the large majority of people aren’t the “–est” at anything. This leads them to see the “–est’s” lives can compare it to their own. They then see themselves as the worst, the dumbest, the weakest, the ugliest, the saddest. But if wholeness comes from a way of living life, then no one could ever be an “–est” at all! If we stop comparing ourselves to others, and begin focusing on our own identity, on how we live our lives, something beautiful can begin to emerge.
ReplyDeleteThis is especially true when we place our identity in Christ. There isn’t such a thing as the “best” Christian, or the even the “worst” Christian. Christ died for all. Period, dot, end of sentence. And if we believe and identify in that, we will stop comparing ourselves to others all of the time. For if I am in Christ, how can I compare myself to my sister in Christ? We are both in Christ, and that is who we are. Indeed, we have particularities about ourselves, but the foundation of who we are remains the same. 1 Peter 2:9 states, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” God calls us out of the darkness of comparisons, the emptiness of not living creatively, and calls us children of God. In this verse about our identity, I find it very purposeful that there is no “–est” language, for no one is put over the other. It may take creativity to live life this way, but in this we know our lives will not be empty.
"That is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply in their mind, so that they can actually 'feel it work.' They want to try their first idea right off; and the result is they use up lots of money and lots of good material, only to find eventually that they are working in the wrong direction. We all make mistakes, and it is better to make them before we begin." I agree with this statement said by Nikola Tesla. I believe that life is always a learning experience and with every action or mistake, there is a lesson to be learned. I know I have made many mistakes in my past, but I also strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. If we did not make mistakes we would not be able to learn and grow. There is no such thing as a perfect person. To be perfect is to have fallen down numerous times, and have had the strength to continue to get back up every time. When he mentioned the issue with inventors, I think we can all relate to the fact that we can be impatient at times and we just want things to go our way the first time around, but that is never the case. We have to be patient and work hard for what we want. Eventually it will come, because as they say good things come to those who wait.
ReplyDeleteJordyn,
DeleteI agree with you in saying that inventors lack patience, however on the flip side, have you thought that maybe they don't have the time for patience. I think being an inventor also comes with lac of time and patience. Our world and the people within it are constantly competing with one another and because of that fact I feel as if patience is never of the essence as an inventor. They take tons of pressure of building and finding the next best thing, but building and finding the next best thing doesn't mean taking years to do it. I also believe that making mistakes as you have agreed to is also an essential part within this process
Our actions often times speak louder than our words, since they are a reflection of what is in our mind. Like Steve Jobs said "The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules" instead they may go against the norm. Regardless of what people say or " quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do". Having a different outlook (mind) is not a negative thing since those are the individuals that will change the world we live in. Those individuals willing to think differently than everyone else can become some of the most influential individuals. Our mind has incredible power and we just need to learn to trust our intuitions. Some of our thoughts have the potential to change lives and the world but what is stopping us is doubt.
ReplyDeleteWhile thinking over all of these quotes, and your thoughts on, well, thought, I was reminded of an prediction that came to me during a discussion in class. As our society progresses, we seem to glorify the application and careful judgement of ideas more and more over the honing of physical prowess. This makes sense, as we are entering an era where machines can take care of many of the jobs that before could only be achieved with manual labor. However, as we develop more and more machines, and our technology leans more and more towards the virtual space, I have a theory that scares many people, and appeals to others.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the future of the human race will not be an enslavement to machines as some people fear, but has some commonalities with that view. I believe that in the future, humans will be able to leave the labor that is required to live and survive completely to machines who gain satisfaction in the work, and we will retreat farther and farther into the virtual space and into our own thoughts. These quotes all support the idea that learning and thinking are activities that should not bore you, especially the Leonardo da Vinci quote, and this makes sense as it is something in our nature to do constantly. Between these quotes and the presentations, I think we are headed to a world where our bodies are literally used only as vessels for our minds and our souls, which preside primarily in worlds of our own imagination. Think about it, we have talked about cars driving us where we need to go in the real world if we need to move, A.I. capable of providing stimulating social interaction, devices that can convincingly simulate presence in completely different places (the VR devices) and the mars presentations have shown that we have the technology to support human life for many years without them needing to so much as to go outside.
Some find this prospect grim and dehumanizing, I would argue that based on these quotes, a life where we can live in our own imaginations, pursuing to their fullest our own thoughts is the essence of humanity.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that probably resonates with me the most is the one by Steve Jobs. Many of the most influential people in society were once looked at as "crazy" for their ideas of knowing that they could do something to impact the world and the society. It goes to show that you really have to think outside of the box sometimes and when you do that is when you can become the most influential and impactful. If everyone lived such "type A" lives then I truly do not think that we would have evolved as much as we have. People could have been so stuck in their ways thinking that their lives that they were living were so comfortable that they didn't want to disrupt that. If that happened I do not think anyone would have traveled the world discovering new places and trying to prove that the earth was flat. No one would have discovered electricity and technology. I am thankful for the people that think outside of the box, because they may seem crazy now but that is because we have not seen what they know is yet to come.
ReplyDeleteThat is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply in their mind, so that they can actually 'feel it work.' They want to try their first idea right off; and the result is they use up lots of money and lots of good material, only to find eventually that they are working in the wrong direction. We all make mistakes, and it is better to make them before we begin.
ReplyDelete— Nikola Tesla
This quote stood out to me the most because I felt it related to me the most, or to be more specific, related to the way I approach achieving success. Patience, in anything is a virtue. Patience in learning is essential to understanding and putting knowledge into practice. Patience in relationships encourages growth and strength. Patience in trying to understand something gives us clarity of mind, and allows the necessary time to process and reflect. Without patience, things will eventually spiral out of control. As a music major, I know this full well. There are so many concepts, exercises, pieces, and disciplines that require patience in order for success to accompany my efforts. There are days where this is way easier said than done, and my tendency is not always to be patient. But I find that the moments in which I slow down (seems impossible for a college student right?!), are the times in which my mind begins to make the most sense of the things I am daily being introduced to. Slowing down and having patience is a necessary part of our spiritual growth as well. When we slow down, set aside time to spend with just God and ourselves, we benefit because The Lord can use that time to do immeasurable, valuable transformation in our hearts. To sum it up, patience will always be a virtue, because it is a discipline, that though difficult, reaps benefits that last us for the long haul.
Lauren, I agree with your comment about your point of slowing down and having patience is an essential to putting knowledge into practice and how it can help us with our spiritual growth.
DeleteThe quote from Nikola Tesla is true in my opinion because in order for us to learn we need to have patience. Learning doesn't come quick. Its a process we learn little by little. When we are patience we sometimes make mistakes, but we learn from them and try our best not to do them again. Sometimes people may tend to speed the process and then it tends not to work out and if we are patience about it and not rush the process it works out.
ReplyDeleteI personally agree that what starts in our minds, ends in our actions.
ReplyDeleteFinally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
-Paul
This is the quote that specifically grabbed my attention. Just as I said above what consumes our minds is so important not only for us and our actions but also for others. Whatever a person thinks it is going to be put into the actions that they partake in. If we are thinking about things that are lovely or noble or pure or praiseworthy, then we are going to be living those types of things out. So in order to live out a Christ like life we must keep our minds with how we see the Lord working in our lives or other peoples' lives. Simply to notice the small reminders of God will help train our actions to show the love and grace of the Lord to others.
Many of these quotes are great. Some of the ones that stuck out to me the most were the quotes from Tesla and Steve jobs. They both are a bit similar in some way. They both talk about the people who have discovered great things and invented great things. But they seem to point out that they are extremely different from the rest of us. They are impatient at times, they are not perfect. They are misfits and they learn from their mistakes. But they keep pursuing which is great. There are many people in the world that are like this even today. One thing we should all keep in mind is that the only reason we have discovered and invented many things is due to God. He has allowed us to discover these things and has given people the talent to do so.
ReplyDeleteI think the key here is learning from our mistakes. We can either view mistakes as setbacks and disappointments, or take a look at them in new light, hoping to learn something out of it. Nobody grows without making mistakes, and if we keep that in mind, then making a mistake now and then won't seem like a tragedy to us, but rather an opportunity for growth, new knowledge, and development. I also like how you credit God with all the glory for anything we accomplish because you are 100% right. Anything and everything we achieve is made possible by the strength, power, and will of our Father.
DeleteAfter reading Steve Jobs' quote the most interesting concept I came across was, "The people who see things different". I believe that seeing things differently is so significant for all of us. We live in a word where we are all social constructs and essentially we create the world we live in and saw create it we also strengthen or break it down. Seeing things differently also brings change within structures we already exist in. Evidently we can see this truth through the work Steve Jobs' has left us. Apple has changed all of our lives! more importantly though, Jobs was able to change all aspects of our lives not through just invention, but also because of being able to "see things different"
ReplyDelete“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
ReplyDelete-Steve Jobs. This quote stuck out to me the most! I completely agree with Jobs on how the ones who say they are going to change things one day and stick up to the differences in society are the ones who go out and make the differences. Too many people look at people who are "different", with such a negative attitude. Just because someone does not think the same as you or react to things the same way you would, does not mean to judge them. We are blessed to be able to think and use our brains on a daily basis and should use our brains to the best of our abilities. It is okay to be different and people need to realize that.
My favorite quote was by Albert Einstein and how we need to remain as children. I think one of the most profound things about a child is they are very curious and ask a lot of questions. Even though they might be a little annoying, they are learning so much because of their curiosity. I think it is important to remain curious because it puts us into a state of constant learning. We will ask lots of questions and have a drive to learn more and more about everything. There is endless knowledge in this world, and I think it is important to not settle with knowing what we know now, but we should continue to seek out new answers and new questions to ask. If we do this, we will remain like a child.
ReplyDeleteThe quote by Steve Jobs is the one I most resonated with. Inventors were once looked at as weird for their ideas of thinking that they could impact the world. Without creativity no one would have discovered any type of new technology. But with them thinking outside the norm we can have all this new technology and be grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteThe first quote that stuck out to me was:
ReplyDelete“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”-Steve Jobs. This tells me the ones that are different and the ones that push boundaries are the ones that make the changes. If you don't rock the boat how do you expect waves to be made. The second quote that stuck out to me was: “The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”― Albert Einstein. I like this quote because it reminds us that children and young and innocent and when we were young we were still curious and we loved to learn and we found new things to learn every single day. We need to stay child-like in that sense. We need to stay curious and we need to keep our love of learning alive and strong.
After reading all the above quotes, the one that stood out the most to me was, “The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”― Albert Einstein
ReplyDeleteI love watching my younger cousins while they play. They have no boundaries for failure because they are have not created a wall of fear. They let their imagination take them to marvelous places and view the world in a different way than us.
I believe what Einstein is saying is that truth and beauty are best seen through the eyes of a child. They do not have any experience with pain, suffering, failure or loss. They notice the little things in life and are appreciative of simple things. They are not so weighed down by the negativities that they can no longer see the beauty in this world.
Children have a curiosity for the world that adults do not have. Children are constantly learning and trying new things while adults are paralyzed with fear. Fear of not having time. Fear of failing. Fear of being judged.
We should all try and live like a child. With open eyes and no fear.
After reading the quotes, there are a couple that make me think.
ReplyDelete"Learning never exhausts the mind" Leonardo da Vinci. At the end of everyday, I was complain how I'm tired of class, learning, working, etc... My mother tells me no your not you like it, and I argue with her. I began to realize she was right I'm not tired of learning. I love learning new things, why things work, what happened, when did something happen, it makes me happy! I get exhausted from being tested on what I am told what I am supposed to learn. I have never been a good test taker, I get really nervous and my brain goes blank, but after I am still able to recall what i learned previously, I just can't convey that on a test or quiz. I get exhausted on being judged and graded for what I am told to learn, not learning.
"Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.”
Maxwell Maltz is the other quote that spoke to me. In high school I was never bored, I was a cheer captain and I was always striving to make my team better, new dances, harder stunts, more cheers. After graduating, I get bored a lot and it clicked for me that its because i don't have an outlet or goal that I'm putting myself into, yes i am working toward my degree but thats not what i have been putting my all into, I have no creative outlet.
Professor Hitchcock, this post was very interesting in how you related how everything we do starts with the mind. Our mind has the ability to start our thoughts and feelings about specific things and eventually affect our behaviors. The quote from Albert Einstein about remaining children for all of our lives. This metaphor is to signify how creative childrena nd thier minds are. We all were children at some point & their minds are extremely admiring because they have so many different thoughts, feelings, imaginations, and ideas about the world as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe second quote that really stood out to me was from Paul in the bible. When he tells us to meditate on all things that are lovely and good & true. I think that this is something that all adults should think about this. We spend too much time focusing on the negative & not on the lovely and positive things in life.
Professor Hitchcock,
ReplyDeleteThese quotes really got me thinking. (no pun intended)
Our mind just might be our most powerful tool. We use it for every single thing in our lives, but I don't think we fully realize that. Maxwell Maltz quote stuck out to me, "Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living entirely. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal."
When I read this, I read it through a religious lense. I realized that when I am feeling empty, it is because I am not spending enough time with the one truth in my life: God. I think it is necessary to experience feelings of loneliness and emptiness because it increases our awareness of our need for God. However, imagine if I hadn't read it from a religious perspective. When I reread from the perspective of one of my friends who is not Christian, it is almost depressing. I would think, so I am feeling empty because I am not using my talents all the way? I would think that it is not okay to feel empty.
This makes me sad. I want the people in my life who don't know God to know him in their loneliness, in their sadness. I want them to understand that they have a greater purpose in life and it is outside of themselves.
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… The ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.” This quote impacted me the most.
ReplyDeleteThese words seem to share the ora of Steve Jobs that we all knew and loved, it shares his mind. It is interesting how these words seem to so fully capture his posture. This embodies how he lived his life. These words translated into the choices he made, the unique work he did, and the crazy ideas he brought to fruition. His sharing of this shows the truth behind root of our actions. Thoughts become words and words become action. In this quote he is reaching out to people that are bold, as he was. What if we were to intentionally posses some of these characteristics and think this way? He speaks of “round pegs in square holes” with such positive connotation. We traditionally are told to fit in. But Steve Jobs changed that narrative.
Professor Hitchcock,
ReplyDeleteThe following quote is something that I struggled with for a long time:
"Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living entirely. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal."
When I started college, I thought I wanted to major in Biology. Growing up, I heard how much doctors were praised and how much everyone admired them. I figured that since I loved school and I had gotten good grades in high school I would major in a difficult major.
When I came to college. I realized that I did not like Biology and that I was majoring in it for the wrong reasons. My grades dropped because I could have studied more.
I began volunteering with kids after school and I was so happy. It was the only thing that I looked forward to throughout my day.
I changed my major to Liberal Studies so that I could be a teacher after working with the kids. I now feel like I have a purpose in life. I know that God could have used me in any way he needed me to, but I feel like I want to work with first generation, English as a second language students from low income schools. I am excited to know that my life has a purpose now.
"Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.”
ReplyDelete― Maxwell Maltz
This quote by Maltz reminds me of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. In order to reach self-actualization, which includes creativity and living a purposeful life, one must first satisfy his/her physiological needs.
While I do agree that the mind matters most, it's also important to remember that physical and mental activities work hand-in-hand. In order to live purposefully and achieve one's full potential, one must discover what matters to him/her, which satisfies the "Belonging" and "Esteem" needs.
I had mentioned it in a previous post, but I read a book for a class and the premise of his argument could not relate more to this post. Mark Noll notes that modern American Evangelicals have let the mind go to waste as we fail to exercise it with Christian thoughts and theology. This secular world has dominated the Christian mind and has inhibited many of us from using our minds to glorify God and bring the Christian influence in all areas of life.
ReplyDeleteI love what Paul said, "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." It is a truth we need to cling onto so much more tightly and one that we need to live out daily. God graciously gave us the ability to think such intricate, deep, profound, and trans formative thoughts. What would it look like if we adopted Christian theology more often and allowed God to seep into our thoughts more often. If we did this, I would be convinced that Christianity would be looked at with a different lens in our fallen world.