Appendix 10 Chapter 1
A Stitch In Time
A stitch in time saves nine. Explain this to me.
An Empty Mind
An empty mind is the devil's workshop. Explain what this means.
I have a vague idea about the meaning of the word "devil". Can you precisely tell me what this word means? Also tell me the origins of this word.
Can you tell me any other proverbs, maxims, idioms, sayings that include the word devil?
I am trying to lead a good life. In this context, what would "an empty mind is the devil's workshop" mean?
Can you suggest an alternative phrase instead of "an empty mind is the devil's workshop" without using the word "devil" and yet keeping all its meaning intact?
Here is how I interpret the saying "an empty mind is devil's workshop": Consider that the scenario that I wake up one morning. What would I be thinking of doing that particular day? If I say "I don't know", or if I say "nothing in particular", or something similar, then it means that I have not planned for anything; there is nothing on my mind; that is, my mind is empty about "what to do". So, clearly I'm not planning to do anything good. What this proverb is saying is that if I am not planning to do anything good, then there is a high probability that I will end up doing something bad. Imagine if I'm not planning to do anything for the next seven days, or the next month, or the next year, then this proverb is telling me that my probability of doing something bad is much, much higher.
The phrase "an empty mind is a devil's workshop" is warning us against doing something. Can you suggest phrases which have the same wisdom, but instead of warning us against something, they are telling us to do something and its outcome.
Fill your mind with good thoughts and actions and you will find that you are leading a good life.
Fill your mind with good thoughts, fill your time with useful actions, and you will find that you are leading a good life.
Positive Guidance works better than Dire Warnings.
Take 25 classic dire warnings and reframe them into positive guidance with outcomes.
Pictures and Questions
A picture is worth more than 1000 words. What does this mean?
Some questions are worth more than their answers. What does this mean?
Is "How to live a good life?" one such question?
Can I buy my good life?
Can someone else give me my good life?
Can I earn a good life?
How to live a good life?
What does "cultivating joy" mean? I thought something is either "fun" or "not fun". What is there to "cultivate"?
Necessity and Invention
Necessity is the mother of invention. Explain this to me.
I think, at its core, necessity is really the mother of investigation. If one needs to know something, then one cannot invent that which needs to be known. But, one can investigate and find the knowledge that one seeks.
If one does not find what one is looking for, then one has a problem. A person can simply resign when facing a problem. In this case, necessity does not lead to any innovation or invention.
When facing a problem, if a person has the desire to "solve" it, and if the person is competent enough to attempt to solve it, then there is hope for innovation or invention.
What sort of competencies are required for a person to solve problems?
So, when facing necessity, all the following must occur to result in innovation or invention:
- investigation about how to deal with the necessity.
- no actionable information resulting from the investigation. This exposes the problem.
- the desire to solve problems.
- necessary competencies in the subject area of the problem.
- effort; probably lots of effort.
- some luck
Some say that "there is no such thing as luck". In other words, "fortune favors the prepared".
By "prepared" I mean that sufficient level of base knowledge and skills is required. In addition, the preparedness to tackle the problem.
Can you think of more aspects of "being prepared"?
Go With The Flow
Explain to me what "go with the flow" means.
Explain to me what "convert your dreams into goals; and seek those goals" means.
Are these two distinct mindsets? How would you label these mindsets? Compare and contrast these two mindsets. Tell me which one is better?
Individual and Experience
Experience makes the individual. Explain this to me.
The individual makes the experience. Explain this to me.
The individual chooses the experience. Explain this to me.
Is this situation with individual and experience somewhat similar to "matter tell space how to curve and curved space tells matter how to move"?
Constancy and Change
In life there are things which we desire stay the same. There are also other things that we wish change. Now I am desiring good life. So I need to figure out what are the things that I wish stay the same. And what are the things that I wish change?
Of all the possible things, what would be a reasonable split between the things that should stay the same versus the things that should change? Would it be desirable that almost all things stay constant? Would it be desirable that most of the things should keep changing all the time?
The phrase "all other things remaining same" Usually appears in statements like "all of the things remaining same if such and such thing is different then so and so thing would be better". What this indicates is that 11 considers better life. One has to start changing one thing at a time. But one change may not be sufficient. So, one may need to undertake a series of changes. This implies that, having made the first change, one keeps whatever that changed as a result of that initial change a constant, and then attempt the next change.
From the perspective of having a good life, we may have a long list of changes that we desire. So we will undertake all these changes one by one, and accomplish them. If one keeps doing this for all the candidate changes that one desires, then one will reach a state where no further change is deemed necessary. A good life is characterized by experiencing such a state all the time.
So, it seems that a good life is an unchanging life. Desiring change and accomplishing it results in constancy. Seems paradoxical. Doesn't it?
How do different philosophies address constancy and change?
Prisons, Golden Cages, and Society
Sometimes change is forced upon us. Sometimes constancy is forced upon us. Can you give me examples of both these categories?
Can you explore the ideas of constancy and change in prison life?
Can you explore the ideas of constancy and change in a golden cage?
Would the prison and golden cage examples mean that freedom and autonomy are more important than comfort or luxury?
Is a society that restricts the freedoms and autonomy of its citizens, and does not provide comforts, similar to a prison?
Is a society that restricts the freedoms in autonomy of its citizens, and does not even provide the essentials of life, much worse than a prison?
So what does all this mean?
So what does all this mean for a person who desires a good life?
Structure and Organization
I'm trying to lead a good life. What can you tell me about the relationship of structure and organization to my being able to lead a good life.
I'm confused about what is structure and what is organization. Using five to ten diverse examples, can you clearly point out the structure and the organization and thereby distinguish between these two?