Spur for Inquiry

 

What is my purpose in sending these Daily Quotes and Inspirations, as I have been doing since 2008?
Some of these messages are intended to provide a small measure of comfort, but most of these messages are intended to challenge my readers to deeper thinking.

Short quotations/aphorisms are by their nature incomplete, and almost always present only one side of an issue. Long-time readers will also notice that I often present quotations that contradict each other - for example, some exhort the reader to work harder/smarter while others encourage placing a relatively low priority on work.

My hope is that these daily messages will get you thinking about new ideas. Let's take these aphorisms as a spur for inquiry. Let those ideas with which you disagree start you thinking, talking and questioning, but also let the comfortable, familiar, and inspiring quotes become a source of questioning. Remember that our comfortable inspiring quotes are also never 100% true in all situations. Open Minds - Open Hearts. Thank you for reading these daily messages.
Read more about this at Inspirational/Motivational Quotes - Spur for Inquiry

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Look for what is,
and not for what you think should be.
- Albert Einstein [paraphrase]

What is a scientist after all?
It is a curious man looking through a keyhole,
the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
- Harry S. Truman

All truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.
- Galileo Galilei

Do not limit yourself to either analysis or emotion.
Look deeply into the DNA of its seeds,
AND appreciate the intoxicating grandeur of the forest.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Be a Seeker

Lifelong Learning

Inquiry

Conscious Learning

Discovery
    

Facts AND Feelings

What is my purpose in sending these Daily Quotes and Inspirations, as I have been doing since 2008?
Some of these messages are intended to provide a small measure of comfort, but most of these messages are intended to challenge my readers to deeper thinking.

Short quotations/aphorisms are by their nature incomplete, and almost always present only one side of an issue. Long-time readers will also notice that I often present quotations that contradict each other - for example, some exhort the reader to work harder/smarter while others encourage placing a relatively low priority on work.

My hope is that these daily messages will get you thinking about new ideas. Let's take these aphorisms as a spur for inquiry. Let those ideas with which you disagree start you thinking, talking and questioning, but also let the comfortable, familiar, and inspiring quotes become a source of questioning. Remember that our comfortable inspiring quotes are also never 100% true in all situations. Open Minds - Open Hearts. Thank you for reading these daily messages.
Read more about this at Inspirational/Motivational Quotes - Spur for Inquiry

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Look for what is,
and not for what you think should be.
- Albert Einstein [paraphrase]

What is a scientist after all?
It is a curious man looking through a keyhole,
the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
- Harry S. Truman

All truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.
- Galileo Galilei

Do not limit yourself to either analysis or emotion.
Look deeply into the DNA of its seeds,
AND appreciate the intoxicating grandeur of the forest.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Be a Seeker

Lifelong Learning

Inquiry

Conscious Learning

Discovery
    

Science AND Wonder

 

What is my purpose in sending these Daily Quotes and Inspirations, as I have been doing since 2008?
Some of these messages are intended to provide a small measure of comfort, but most of these messages are intended to challenge my readers to deeper thinking.

Short quotations/aphorisms are by their nature incomplete, and almost always present only one side of an issue. Long-time readers will also notice that I often present quotations that contradict each other - for example, some exhort the reader to work harder/smarter while others encourage placing a relatively low priority on work.

My hope is that these daily messages will get you thinking about new ideas. Let's take these aphorisms as a spur for inquiry. Let those ideas with which you disagree start you thinking, talking and questioning, but also let the comfortable, familiar, and inspiring quotes become a source of questioning. Remember that our comfortable inspiring quotes are also never 100% true in all situations. Open Minds - Open Hearts. Thank you for reading these daily messages.
Read more about this at Inspirational/Motivational Quotes - Spur for Inquiry

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Look for what is,
and not for what you think should be.
- Albert Einstein [paraphrase]

What is a scientist after all?
It is a curious man looking through a keyhole,
the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
- Harry S. Truman

All truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.
- Galileo Galilei

Do not limit yourself to either analysis or emotion.
Look deeply into the DNA of its seeds,
AND appreciate the intoxicating grandeur of the forest.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Be a Seeker

Lifelong Learning

Inquiry

Conscious Learning

Discovery
    

Wisdom from US Presidents

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams (sixth President of the United States)

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
- George Washington (first President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.
- Theodore Roosevelt (26nd President of the United States)

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Further reading: Save Only the Best of the Old Ways

Independence Day

Make a Difference, Vote

Hold Your Anger
      

Analysis AND Wonder

 

What is my purpose in sending these Daily Quotes and Inspirations, as I have been doing since 2008?
Some of these messages are intended to provide a small measure of comfort, but most of these messages are intended to challenge my readers to deeper thinking.

Short quotations/aphorisms are by their nature incomplete, and almost always present only one side of an issue. Long-time readers will also notice that I often present quotations that contradict each other - for example, some exhort the reader to work harder/smarter while others encourage placing a relatively low priority on work.

My hope is that these daily messages will get you thinking about new ideas. Let's take these aphorisms as a spur for inquiry. Let those ideas with which you disagree start you thinking, talking and questioning, but also let the comfortable, familiar, and inspiring quotes become a source of questioning. Remember that our comfortable inspiring quotes are also never 100% true in all situations. Open Minds - Open Hearts. Thank you for reading these daily messages.
Read more about this at Inspirational/Motivational Quotes - Spur for Inquiry

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Look for what is,
and not for what you think should be.
- Albert Einstein [paraphrase]

What is a scientist after all?
It is a curious man looking through a keyhole,
the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
- Harry S. Truman

All truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.
- Galileo Galilei

Do not limit yourself to either analysis or emotion.
Look deeply into the DNA of its seeds,
AND appreciate the intoxicating grandeur of the forest.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Be a Seeker

Lifelong Learning

Inquiry

Conscious Learning

Discovery
    

Presidents' Day 2021

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams (sixth President of the United States)

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
- George Washington (first President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.
- Theodore Roosevelt (26nd President of the United States)

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Further reading: Save Only the Best of the Old Ways

Independence Day

Make a Difference, Vote

Hold Your Anger
      

The Purpose of These Daily Quotes

What is my purpose in sending these Daily Quotes and Inspirations, as I have been doing since 2008?
Some of these messages are intended to provide a small measure of comfort, but most of these messages are intended to challenge my readers to deeper thinking.
Short quotations/aphorisms are by their nature incomplete, and almost always present only one side of an issue. Long time readers will also notice that I often present quotations that contradict each other - for example, some exhort the reader to work harder/smarter while others encourage placing a relatively low priority on work.
My hope is that these daily messages will get you thinking about new ideas. Let's take these aphorisms as a spur for inquiry. Let those ideas with which you disagree start you thinking, talking and questioning, but also let the comfortable, familiar, and inspiring quotes become a source of questioning. Remember that our comfortable inspiring quotes are also never 100% true in all situations. Open Minds - Open Hearts. Thank you for reading these daily messages.
Read more about this at Inspirational/Motivational Quotes - Spur for Inquiry

Beware of false knowledge;
it is more dangerous than ignorance.
- George Bernard Shaw

Look for what is,
and not for what you think should be.
- Albert Einstein [paraphrase]

What is a scientist after all?
It is a curious man looking through a keyhole,
the keyhole of nature, trying to know what's going on.
- Jacques Yves Cousteau

Intense feeling too often obscures the truth.
- Harry S. Truman

All truths are easy to understand
once they are discovered;
the point is to discover them.
- Galileo Galilei

Do not limit yourself to either analysis or emotion.
Look deeply into the DNA of its seeds,
AND appreciate the intoxicating grandeur of the forest.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Be a Seeker

Lifelong Learning

Inquiry

Conscious Learning

Discovery
    

Presidents' Day 2020

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams (sixth President of the United States)

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
- George Washington (first President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.
- Theodore Roosevelt (26nd President of the United States)

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Further reading: Save Only the Best of the Old Ways

Independence Day

Make a Difference, Vote

Hold Your Anger
      

Actions are the Seed of Fate

Actions are the seed of fate.
Deeds grow into destiny.
- Harry S. Truman

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring,
who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.
- B. C. Forbes

Gardening is all about optimism.
I put a seed in the ground.
I consistently tend it,
confident I will see the results, in time,
of the nurture I have provided.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.
- Henry Van Dyke

Plant trees for your great-grandchildren -
for future generations.
Create the legacy of a better world.
Leave this world a better place than you found it.
Literally planting trees for
your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea,
but far more important...
use this symbolism - this imagery -
to represent the kind of legacy
you want to leave to future generations.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Do It For Our Grandchildren

Pay It Forward

Tending the Garden of Our Lives

Optimism and Hard Work
     

U.S. General Election Day 2019

Our actions today will determine the world we leave our children.

Bad politicians are sent to Washington [and state and local government] by good people who don't vote.
- William E. Simon

Is there an election today in your area? Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi are electing Governors. Many areas in the US are electing state and local officials today. In many ways, who you choose for local school board is as important as who you choose of President. If you don't live in the US, please remember this message for the next time you have an election.

PLEASE remind your family and friends to vote!

Voting is the foundational act that breathes life into
the principle of the consent of the governed.
- DeForest Soaries

Voting for the kind of America you believe in
is one of the greatest gifts you can give your grandchildren.
Make a difference. VOTE NOW!

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
- Native American Proverb

Further reading: The Test is How We Care for Society's Children

Feed the Children

A Truly Successful Life

Honor the Children
   

Presidents Day and Washington's Birthday 2019

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams (sixth President of the United States)

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
- George Washington (first President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.
- Theodore Roosevelt (26nd President of the United States)

Further reading: Save Only the Best of the Old Ways

Independence Day

Hold Your Anger

Make a Difference, Vote
      

Election Day 2018 - VOTE NOW!

Our actions today will determine the world we leave our children.

Bad politicians are sent to Washington [and state and local government] by good people who don't vote.
- William E. Simon

PLEASE remind your family and friends to vote today!

Voting for the kind of America you believe in
is one of the greatest gifts you can give your grandchildren.
Make a difference. VOTE NOW!

Voting is the foundational act that breathes life into
the principle of the consent of the governed.
- DeForest Soaries

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
- Native American Proverb

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman

Further reading: The Test is How We Care for Society's Children

A Truly Successful Life

Feed the Children

Honor the Children
   

Sow a Few Seeds

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.
- Henry Van Dyke

It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring,
who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.
- B. C. Forbes

Actions are the seed of fate.
Deeds grow into destiny.
- Harry S. Truman

Gardening is all about optimism.
I put a seed in the ground.
I consistently tend it,
confident I will see the results, in time,
of the nurture I have provided.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Plant trees for your great-grandchildren -
for future generations.
Create the legacy of a better world.
Leave this world a better place than you found it.
Literally planting trees for
your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea,
but far more important...
use this symbolism - this imagery -
to represent the kind of legacy
you want to leave to future generations.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: Pay It Forward

For Our Grandchildren

Optimism and Hard Work

Tending the Garden of Our Lives
     

Presidents' Day 2018

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble.
- George Washington (first President of the United States)

Courage and perseverance have a magical talisman,
before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish into air.
- John Quincy Adams (sixth President of the United States)

With self-discipline most anything is possible.
- Theodore Roosevelt (26nd President of the United States)

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Further reading: Independence Day

Save Only the Best of the Old Ways

Hold Your Anger

Make a Difference, Vote
      

With Every Deed You are Sowing a Seed

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

Actions are the seed of fate.
Deeds grow into destiny.
- Harry S. Truman

With every deed you are sowing a seed,
though the harvest you may not see.
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple,
but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.
- Robert H. Schuller

Plant trees for your great-grandchildren -
for future generations.
Create the legacy of a better world.
Leave this world a better place than you found it.
Literally planting trees for
your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea,
but far more important...
use this symbolism - this imagery -
to represent the kind of legacy
you want to leave to future generations.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

The season of failure is the best time
for sowing the seeds of success.
- Paramahansa Yogananda

Further reading: For Our Grandchildren

Tending the Garden of Our Lives

Pay It Forward

Upheaval
    

Presidents' Day 2017

The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie,
deliberate, contrived and dishonest,
but the myth, persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.
- John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States)

Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds.
- Franklin D. Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States)

We hold these truths to be self-evident:
that all men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
- Thomas Jefferson (third President of the United States)
[Declaration of Independence, and inscribed in the Jefferson Memorial]

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

Further reading: Being a Leader

Difference of Opinion

Don't Borrow Trouble

Killing Each Other's Children
    

Today is Election Day - VOTE NOW!

Our actions today will determine the world we leave our children.

Bad politicians are sent to Washington by good people who don't vote.
- William E. Simon

PLEASE remind your family and friends to vote today!

Voting for the kind of America you believe in
is one of the greatest gifts you can give your grandchildren.
Make a difference. VOTE NOW!

We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.
- Native American Proverb

Voting is the foundational act that breathes life into
the principle of the consent of the governed.
- DeForest Soaries

In Iroquois society, leaders are encouraged to
remember seven generations in the past and
consider seven generations in the future
when making decisions that affect the people.
- Wilma Mankiller

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman

Further reading: A Truly Successful Life

The Test is How We Care for Society's Children

Honor the Children

Feeding the Children
   

Seeds You Plant

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

With every deed you are sowing a seed,
though the harvest you may not see.
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Actions are the seed of fate.
Deeds grow into destiny.
- Harry S. Truman

Anyone can count the seeds in an apple,
but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.
- Robert H. Schuller

The season of failure is the best time
for sowing the seeds of success.
- Paramahansa Yogananda

Plant trees for your great-grandchildren -
for future generations.
Create the legacy of a better world.
Leave this world a better place than you found it.
Literally planting trees for
your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea,
but far more important...
use this symbolism - this imagery -
to represent the kind of legacy
you want to leave to future generations.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: For Our Grandchildren

Pay It Forward

Tending the Garden of Our Lives

Upheaval
    

Welfare of Our Children

Nothing is more important in our national life
than the welfare of our children.
- Harry S. Truman (33rd President of the United States)

There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul
than the way in which it treats its children.
- Nelson Mandela

Education is a social process.
Education is growth.
Education is, not a preparation for life;
education is life itself.
- John Dewey

What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us;
what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
- Albert Pike

Further reading: Honor the Children

Teach by Example

Feed the Children

Full Measure
    

The Seeds You Plant

Judge each day not by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.
- Robert Louis Stevenson

It is only the farmer who faithfully plants seeds in the Spring,
who reaps a harvest in the Autumn.
- B. C. Forbes

Look around for a place to sow a few seeds.
- Henry Van Dyke

Gardening is all about optimism.
I put a seed in the ground.
I consistently tend it,
confident I will see the results, in time,
of the nurture I have provided.
- Mary Anne Radmacher

Actions are the seed of fate.
Deeds grow into destiny.
- Harry S. Truman

Plant trees for your great-grandchildren -
for future generations.
Create the legacy of a better world.
Leave this world a better place than you found it.
Literally planting trees for
your great-grandchildren is a wonderful idea,
but far more important...
use this symbolism - this imagery -
to represent the kind of legacy
you want to leave to future generations.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Further reading: For Our Grandchildren

Tending the Garden of Our Lives

Pay It Forward

Optimism and Hard Work