Great Grandfather Thoughts

One of my more vivid memories of my Great Grandfather (my mom's mom's dad) is the annual holiday greeting cards he used to liberally distribute. I used to read these quotations that were contained in the cards (labeled "Helpful Thoughts."

A scan of one of his cards, probably from the 1960s?

Only recently I realized that (a) many were really thought provoking, and (b) it's amazing how many of these have significantly influenced my beliefs. In fact, even before I found this one copy of the card in my "memory box," I could probably have recited a few of the quotes for you verbatim. Here is a transcribed set of helpful thoughts from one of his cards. I love the cover of the card that includes his theosophical society logo that proclaims "There Is No Religion Higher Than Truth" - I agree completely. My favorite ones are in bolded text.


The sage does not talk, the talented ones talk; and stupid ones argue. (Chinese proverb)

To say the right thing at the right time, keep still most of the time. (J.H. Raper)

The greatest glory consists not in never failing, but in rising every time we fall. (Goldsmith)

Wisdom is knowing what to do next, skill is knowing how to do it, virtue is doing it. (D.S. Gordon)

Genius does what it must, talent does what it can.

The secret of life is not to do what you like, but to like what you do. (Henry Davidoff)

"The greatest saint is not one who does extraordinary things, but one who does ordinary things extraordinarily well." (Dr. A. Maclaren)

Sow an act, and you reap a habit,
Sow a habit, and you reap a character,
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny (J. Locke)

"God will not ask thy race,
Nor will He ask thy birth;
Alone will He demand of thee,
'What hast thou done on earth?"

Nothing breeds fatigue like inactivity. (O.A. Batista)

"Rules are for when brains run out" (I have a whole essay I can write on "zero-tolerance policies" that emerge from my belief in this quote)


If man owns land, the land owns him. (Emerson)

Whenever science makes a discover, the devil grabs it while the angels are debating the best way to use it. (Alan Valentine)

People are lonely because they build walls instead of bridges. (J.F. Newton)

Fire tries gold, misery tries brave men. (Seneca)

To sin by silence when they should protest makes cowards out of men.

He has a right to criticise who has a heart to help. (Abraham Lincoln)

There is so much good in the worst of us,
And so much bad in the best of us.
That it ill becomes any of us,
To look down on the rest of us. (C.W. Leadbeater)

Pray as if everything depended on GOD, and work as if everything depended on man. (Spielman)

Troubles like babies grow larger with nursing. (Lady Holland)

Self-confidence is the first requisite to Great undertakings. (Samuel Johnson)

So, which of these are your favorites?