"The wise-sayers say “you are what you think”. If that's so, then the body is merely the transporter for the mind. The body does not last but the mind can. And that possibility could explain why so many of the ancient sayings apply to the today's world and possibly eternity. Take Aesop. He lived 620 - 560 BC. He said “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted”. This is still a wise saying some 2600 years later. Back then the memory system was mental. Today, we have computers and a digital memory system. But our present society is built on a procession of thinking from many years past. The situation is succinctly expressed by William Feather (1889 - 1981) who said, “The wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are preserved into perpetuity by a nation's proverbs, fables, folk sayings and quotations”.
Looking to the future, we appear to be poised for some great things. Preparing for the future, Walt Disney (1901 - 1966) said, ”Crowded classrooms and half-day sessions are a tragic waste of our greatest national resource --- the minds of our children” and Nicholas Zaharis (1921 - ) said “Education is expensive but ignorance is more expensive”.
The intention of this manuscript is to educate, inspire and amuse. It is based on a thousand quotations by 400 astute individuals. Their occupations and claim to fame are discussed briefly. Many had multiple occupations. Most were philosophers, authors and writers.
The author visualizes the contents as a source of ideas for advertising programs, for casual conversations and for meditative reading and thinking. It is sort of a table-top book that can be opened and read at random."
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