The following “Observations” are excerpted from Chapter 1, Uncommon Sense, from my “The Book of Observations.”
There are about 2,000 “Observations” in this book.
The weakest link determines the strength of the chain.
Tranquility is fragile.
The past reveals the future.
The self-righteous are wrong.
We cooperate when it’s in our best interests.
Merchants are more attentive before the bill is paid.
We can fool some of the people some of the time, but we can’t fool our bodies ever.
The belligerent do not understand our interdependence.
Rare is a concept that will not offend someone.
We live in a perfectly imperfect world.
Enlightenment achieved in seclusion is useful in seclusion.
There’s nothing as limp as an idea whose time has yet to arrive.
Life is always teaching; we are not always learning.
We are products of our times.
Teaching surpasses preaching.
Wisdom can be earned but not purchased.
There are worlds within worlds within worlds.
Our minds assign importance.
Disagreement is normal.
Everyone pays for ignorance.
Wisdom acknowledges how little it knows.
It’s easy to love from afar.
Truth, battered and beaten, endures.
The future is always uncertain.
Alcohol talks.
Every decision has a cost.
Marriage is a cause of divorce.
To misuse power is to exhibit weakness.
When teaching by example, the messenger is the message.
Reality dictates potential.
The quality of the product should at least match the sales pitch.
Uniqueness demands interdependence.
The time to evaluate your job is not when you don’t feel like getting out of bed.
Food is first fuel.
Life seesaws.
All times are fascinating.
Knowledge is laced with sorrow.
Exploitation invites retribution.
Selective memories are self-serving.
The ability to consume great quantities of alcohol is not a laudable talent.
Winning involves losing.
Realities carry more weight than possibilities.
Our brains must be tamed.
Rules that violate common sense will be violated.
Incentive motivates.
Violence begets violence.
The results are evident; the causes are not.
Cooperation and compromise are inversely proportional.
There can never be enough planning for all eventualities.
Telling someone what to say is like telling them how to dress.