Tag: psychology

Quotes Relating to Reading, Learning and Truth

Whilst they maybe a few notiable exceptions, reading is essential to our growth.

Marcus Aurelius (121-180 BCE) was the Roman emperor from 161 to 180 at the time when the Roman empire was at its peak. He was a Stoic philosopher and a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors. There were not many good Roman Emporers.

He could read and write Greek. In his book Mediations which is still read by many as a guide to great leadership. This book was intended for his personal use only.
One memorable quote (of many) is:

Do what nature demands. Get a move on - if you have it within you - and do not worry whether anyone will give you credit for it. And do not go expecting Plato's Republic; be satisfied with even the smallest progress, and treat the outcome of it all as unimportant. Book 9-29
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11 May 2026
In Order to be Truthful – Michael Leunig

In order to be truthful.

We must do more than speak the truth.

We must also hear the truth.

We must also receive the truth.

We must also act on the truth.

We must also search for the truth.

The difficult truth.

Within and around us.

We must devote ourselves to the truth.

Otherwise we are dishonest

And our lives are mistaken.

Go grant us the stength and the courage

To be truthful.

Amen

18 April 2026
A Reading List

A very short list of interesting, challenging and remarkable books. Some I could not finish or could only read (or listen to) in short segments.
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25 February 2026
Belief versus Truth

Stephen Colbert defined a new word: Truthiness, The belief or assertion that a particular statement is true based on the intuition or perceptions of some individual or individuals, without regard to evidence, logic, intellectual examination, or facts.

A number of popular commentators write that we should trust our intuition (without explaining what that may be) rather than relying on what we read. Most of these commentators have written many, many books to tell us that we do not need these books.
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24 November 2018
Quotes Relating to Health

Authors including Plato, Plutarch, Charles Darwin, George Bernard Shaw and Albert Einstein had a say about health. Given that the state of our health has such an impact on our lives it is really not a surprise.
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29 June 2016
Liver Cleansing with Olive Oil

The internet has numerous pages advocating an Olive Oil – Lemon Juice Liver Cleanse or Detox. The purpose of the exercise is eliminate gallstones from your gall bladder. The instructions vary but lemon juice and olive oil are featured. Apple juice and Epsom salts are sometimes involved.

This procedure results in numerous green stones passed in the faeces in the following morning.

Unfortunately, the exercise does not remove gallstones and has the potential to cause nausea, severe abdominal pain and may even lead to surgery to remove your gall bladder. It also leads to a false sense of security, giving rise to the belief that you have solved your gallstone problem.
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13 May 2016
But we are all individuals

This is a frequent response to the suggestion that dietary and lifestyle changes will be beneficial to a person’s well being.

“But we our all individuals. Just because it may be good for some people, it does not mean it will be good for me. I will continue to do whatever I feel is right.”

Yes, we are all individuals with different beliefs, habits, preferences and experiences. However, when it comes to nutrition, we are pretty much the same - allergies being one significant difference. The real question is - "Why is there a need to be special and different?"
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6 October 2013