There’s 2 types of people in this world:

1. those who approach new research with a closed mind

2. those who approach new research with an open mind

Wisdom is the opening of the mind to the presence of vast realms of empty space permeating our embarrassingly thin existing framework of understanding.

• Knowledge is crystalized from a process of memorization.

• Understanding is crystalized from a process of observation.

• Philosophy is crystalized from a process of contemplation.

When you can easily resist the strong pull of consensus of all of those around you, then you’ve proven to yourself that your mind is finally yours.

Most people feel like a fraud most of the time.

Some people are just better at hiding it than others.

Don’t buy the pretence, they’re all imposters.

Do your own thinking.

Because the experts aren’t as expert as they seem.

Find a lover worth all the trouble.

Find a project worth all the trouble.

Find a car worth all the trouble.

Find a holiday destination worth all the trouble.

Find a ‘X’ worth all the trouble.

There should be evidence of ample benefit before you volunteer any personal responsibility.

Simplicity is always the way. All complication is simply a mess of your own making. You make a big mess with a web of your own many rationalizations. In the end, you will be able to simplify it. In the beginning though, this horrid entangling web is hard to avoid.

Emotionally, we grow up with each experience of guilt.

Spiritually, we erode ourselves with each experience of guilt.

Death is beautiful because it is a full release of your stockpile of guilt.

A mind lacking in intelligence concludes that death.... makes life perfectly meaningless.

A mind brimming with intelligence concludes that death.... makes life perfectly meaningful.

And so it is that we always find that life is such a simple system:

You get out of life only what you can appreciate.

If you can’t appreciate death, you’ll never be able to appreciate life.

If I was God for a day, I would ask souls after physical death a single question and watch them judge themselves, “did you back yourself all the way, and I mean ALL the way, or did you let yourself down by treading the waters of fear?”

To get in touch with your spirit is to be alone.

To be alone is to ponder.

To ponder is to ask “why”.

To ask “why” is to philosophize.

Ask why long enough and you become wise.

A scientist tries to understand ‘how’ the world works.

A philosopher tries to understand ‘why’ the world works that way.

This world is not perfect,

you experience some harm so that you may course correct.

So it is perfect in the end, yet feels imperfect during the process.

the perfection of imperfection is as close to perfection as you’re going to get.

The prettiest sky is not plain blue sky.

The prettiest sky always has some cloud.

In the same way, your life needs some moments of tears, like clouds.

A lifelong journey of million smiles would be utterly meaningless.

We all cry… and for good reason.

To be brilliant you'll need to be alone.

Being alone for an extended period of time will require that you make a peace-treaty with yourself.

Most people are far too deeply embroiled in an unconscious pattern of self-hate to ever surrender into a deep-seated acceptance of self.

You could be the world’s greatest genius and a large portion of the population would still not be impressed. Seeking the good opinion of others is folly. You’ll never be good enough for them. You can be good enough for yourself but only if you’re willing to work hard enough to exhaust your potential completely and thereby grant that honour to yourself. Your own conscience will liberate you if you deserve it.

The purpose of work is not to “get it done”.

The purpose of work is to enjoy it.

Zen teaches us the preparation of tea is more important to your soul than the drinking. There's much spiritual beauty in the ritual of work, and it’s far more meaningful than the momentary glee of gluttonous pleasure.

A true artist see the people who ‘compromise’ as spiritually retarded or sick, as their heart is obviously not free.

There’s no art made by pandering to the masses.

That’s salesmanship.

In a perfect world, you’re create something a great value that is deeply appreciated by others. In this world, you may create something of great value that isn’t even appreciated whatsoever. Create anyway. Create for the sake of seeing the beauty that can come from you.

There’s some meaning from life in the appreciation of beauty.

There’s also meaning from the fact that you’re free to create some beauty.

Most people reflect what others want them to be, 

and nothing of their own ‘self’.

True selfhood is rare.