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Column: "Ask Dr. Shaw"
ASK DR. SHAW
from monthly column in The Greenwich Village Press, 1994
Dear Readers:
I would like to devote this month's column to a list of so-called "wise sayings" which I believe can be used advantageously as we attempt to live our lives in meaningful and mentally healthy ways. The list I am presenting is a subset of a larger list called "A Set of Beliefs for Management". It was presented to me by a fellow professor at New York University, Professor Irwin Kabak, who is also a Management Consultant. When I looked over Professor Irwin Kabak's entire list of beliefs, I felt that many of them applied to individuals as well as management, and here are those that I thought were most relevant to individual behavior. The ones I have found particularly helpful in working with people I have put in bold.
- There are advantages and disadvantages to everything.
- Realize that everything takes time.
- Nothing lasts forever.
- Slow and steady always loses to fast and steady.
- It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
- The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits.
- Only the mediocre are always at their best.
- You can't steal second base and keep one foot on first.
- The two hardest things to handle in life are failure and success.
- Tradition is what you resort to when you don't have the time to do it right.
- If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.
- If it weren't for the last minute, nothing would get done.
- Nothing is for everybody.
- The problem with a rat race is that even if you win you are still a rat.
- The only one who makes no mistakes is one who never does anything.
- Praise loudly, blame softly.
- The real issue is value, not price.
- Praise everybody and you praise nobody.
- It takes two to make a bargain but only one to break it.
- If you pay peanuts you get monkeys.
- Learn from the mistakes of others; you won't live long enough to make them all your self.
- He or she who refuses to remedy a wrong is guilty of a second wrong.
- If you can't bite don't show your teeth.
- He who lies on the ground cannot fall.
- One must not depend upon miracles.
- Every uphill has its downhill.
- First learn to walk, then chase the dream.
- Perhaps not taking risks is the greatest risk of all.
- Know when to reject a certainty for an uncertainty.
- Ignorance can be converted to knowledge; stupidity is beyond repair.
- Don't plan to fail by failing to plan.
- To know is not enough; you must do.
- Everything has limits.
- Know your area of excellence.
- You can't ride the sled if you don't climb the hills.
- You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
- Don't worry about the wrong things.
- One must have goals and timetables.
- Everyone needs a break from routine.
- Before you meet the handsome prince you usually have to kiss a lot of toads.
- The status quo is not good enough.
- Don't bother to be the best if it brings out the worst in you.
Finally, I would like to present one more "wise saying" which I recently saw, of all places, on the side of a milk carton, but I feel it has more wisdom than most sayings!
- The past cannot be changed, but the future is in your power.
I invite readers to write to me c/o The Greenwich Village Press, or to call me on (212) 254 5871 to tell me which of these "wise sayings" is your favorite and why. Or, if you wish, you may relate an incident in which one of these wise sayings was particularly appropriate.
