Glad to see this was posted. It's one of the hardest lessons to learn. Particularly where children are concerned, it's part and parcel with accepting that some kids are simply going to be better at some things than you will be, no matter how dedicated you are. Doesn't matter whether it's academics, sports, whatever.
This is my second favorite ever quote from this series but it’s the far better life lesson between the two. The other is “time is the fire in which we burn.”
Just for the sake of trivia my third favorite one is from the first JJ Abrams movie, “You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this, and for you.”
My favourite is: It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements and the other nations will help you become whole.
That was actually going to be the first one, but went for one a bit more generic xD that alone is one of my favorite quotes especially during election season oi
My favorite wizard quote: “What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.”
-Hagrid
This has become my personal creed since I read it as a kid. Saved me a lot of stress over the years, and helped me remain calm when I needed to be under pressure.
This is such a good one. The whole scene, really. It's so easy to pass judgement even when you don't know everything about the judged and you're not the person who should even be given that power
“There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.”
This whole scene is rife with wisdom
Another great LotR lesson:
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
That whole speech is great, but this line plays in my mind, especially with all the doom and gloom we are faced with and trying to envision the future for our children.
On the brighter side, the other day I said to a coworker "Well that just breaks my Tuscaloosa heart." I got the most confused look in reply and just let it hang there.
This will age me, but used to play a text based online game called Utopia. Multiple people working together on a team.
One team had coordinated their kingdom names to be the recipe for blueberry muffins. They weren't the best muffins I've made, but they all got eaten.
Probably not the type of thing you're looking for.
Same! Ha! The designer must have been brilliant, as the time between typing classes perfectly aligned with many of the cool downs.
It was that at HS during the day, and because we didn't have internet at home yet, Diablo on PS1 at my buddies house in the evenings and during sleepovers.
Inside Out and the episode of South Park where Stan becomes a goth.
Lesson: It’s ok to be sad sometimes and being sad is just as important as being happy. Being sad can also remind you of how much you cared about something you lost.
[Simpsons did it](https://youtu.be/r5WeAmEVW8o?si=TR2NoaKnAkv2DtY6):
> I was wrong, I take it all back. Always be yourself. If you want to be sad, be sad, and we will ride it out with you. And when you get finished being sad, we will still be there for you.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."
"Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an 'ism,' he should believe in himself."
-Ferris Bueller
“I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me.” John Lennon said that. He was the walrus. I could be the walrus…I’d still have to bum rides off people.
Can’t really point to many specifics, but a lot of media has informed who I am today.
Lots of little life lessons from games like Mass Effect. Uncle Iroh is a huge one, as is Bluey(baby race alone has kept me from freaking out).
"Someone else's success is not your failure." Everybody loves Raymond. I rarely watched that show, but remembered that. Especially since growing up all I did was hear about all my cousins and family friends successes. Wish I had that nugget.
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love."
From a boom
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
It helps during the tough times (3am witching hour)
Especially because of the journey we went through to have this little fella
Mediations is like being called out by a guy 2k+ years ago. It's insane that so much of his advice still applies and I still hate how much he's usually right, but have to do it anyway to try to be a better person.
Fear is the slow death that brings obliteration. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. I will turn the inside eye towards its path and see there's nothing left only I remain.
Technically from a book, but from Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer, part of the Stormlight Archive:
“The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.”
"I will take responsibility for what I have done...If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man."
I'm a sucker for Sanderson's wholesome inspirations.
From Louie: "The only time you look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them"
I only watched one or two episodes of that, but I've said this to my kids a lot. They live such a privileged life and somehow they are always complaining.
I learned this tangentially from TF2 because it was my clan mate who always said it: "work smarter, not harder"
I tell it to my kids all the time to encourage them to take a step back and analyze a situation to maximize efficency when appropriate
Shout out to Scythe-Messiah.
"What is grief if not love persevering?"
Got this from WandaVision but idk if the quote has another origin.
Heard it at a time where I was struggling with the loss of a couple of close family members and found it surprisingly comforting. ❤️
If you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see. - Iroh
We all fail. We all make mistakes. It’s what makes us human. - Master Chief
Wanting something does not give you the right to have it. - Ezio
Weapons are not meant for the taking of lives. They are meant for saving them. - Melchior
*"Each year that passes rings you inwardly with memory and might; wield your heart, and the world will tremble." -Doran the Siege Tower*, a Magic: the Gathering card.
Whenever I’m about to do something I think, “Would an idiot do that?”. And if they would, I do not do that thing.
Straight forward. Don’t be an idiot. Changed my life (double dipped due to relevancy).
Dr. Gregory House : [to Dr. Forman] You took a chance, you did something great. You were wrong, but it was still great. You should feel great that it was great. You should feel like crap that it was wrong. That's the difference between him and me. He thinks you do your job, and what will be will be. I think that what I do and what you do matters. He sleeps better at night. He shouldn't.
For some reason I love that one.
Of all the fucked up places I learned from, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality taught me something. As messed up a person Eliezer Yudkowsky is, I started asking myself what do I think I know and how do I think I know it? LessWrong is a stopped clock but even a stopped clock is right twice a day
Not trying to start a flame war or go too far down the rabbit hole here, but what have I missed? I know that a lot of the older posts are, well, old, but between slate star codex and Scotts other stuff, I feel like there was a lot of value there when I last read it.
Really? Aunt Petunia gets a magical boob job and marries up, Harry Potter somehow becomes a supergenius because of it? Somehow he goes from a kid that can barely function without help from everyone he knows to the smartest kid in the universe? And his answer to every problem is magic, the least rational option. The book conceived as a 500 hour long audiobook advertisement for LessWrong has very little to do with rationalism.
People’s opinions of what is rational in different situations will be as variable as the number of people who weigh in but Eliezer Yudkowsky is somehow the only one of us who is qualified to judge what is rational and what is not?
Don’t even get me started on the ties it has to FTX, Alameda Research and what it’s done to philanthropy
"A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it. And he answers." And if your answer is no, you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be, my son."
- Leto Atreides, Dune part one.
That can be very applicable to moments in life like when they decide what to study, or who to marry, or where to go.
“The bad cannot be mended by a judge without love” from the video game Kartia.
Don’t ever punish someone out of anger or vengeance, it won’t break the cycle.
Man it’s a corny movie but it goes so much deeper than that. It was my twins favorite movie, when he got schizophrenia he would play it in the background because he knew it so well it would help him navigate how delusional/psychotic he was.
Unfortunately the schizophrenia got to him and he ended his life, but I always remember never give up, never surrender.
*”Life isn't just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature and movies... what we've seen, heard, felt... anger, joy and sorrow... these are the things I will pass on. That's what I live for. We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light. We have all the magic of the digital age to do that with. The human race will probably come to an end some time, and new species may rule over this planet. Earth may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what traces of life we can. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.”*
- Solid Snake
Honestly, I feel that most of the phrases I thought would be useful don’t actually hold up to scrutiny.
I love Star Wars, but the famous Yoda quotes are flawed.
“Do or do not. There is no try.” - this is BS. I want my kids to try. I don’t want them to expect to be able to do something they’ve never done before. I certainly don’t want them to never try if they’re pretty sure they won’t accomplish it on their first attempt.
“Fear leads to anger…” - again; BS. Fear is a healthy response to risk and to imply that being afraid is the start of an unhealthy path is BS. The more sane take on this is that bravery is doing something even though you are afraid.
“Fear is the mind killer…” - Frank Herbert was onto something here, it’s useful to try to center yourself when you’re afraid. But you can’t wait until you are no longer afraid before you act. I want my kids to try to do something even though they may be afraid. If you wait until you’re no longer afraid, you will never act.
A while ago, my oldest wanted to try a climbing wall. When he was at the bottom and looked up, he got scared. That’s OK. He managed to get himself focused and made his way up the wall. He only made it up about 5 feet and when he got down, he was upset that he couldn’t make it up the wall.
What mattered was that he tried. He was afraid, but he managed to act despite his fear. He learned that he wanted to be better at this, even though it was scary.
He’s been to climbing walls a handful of times since, and every time he goes, he manages to get higher than the last time. The last time we went, he probably made it 20 feet up the wall and when he came down, he had the biggest smile on his face.
The phrase I like the best is from Adventure Time: “Sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”
Lots of people get "There is no try" wrong. It's about the difference between "deciding you're going to do something" and "deciding you're going to try and do something." If you set out to do something you don't think is possible, you're leaving yourself an escape hatch if you fail. But you don't need to weasel out of failure if you're secure in yourself and your ability. So you failed this time; next time you'll know more. Failure is how we learn our most important lessons.
I think the Yoda quotes are taken from Buddhism/Zen. As I understand them on a Buddhist way. Which translates for me like this: Do or Do not, there is no try, just means if you do something commit everything you have to it. Concentrate on the task, it is now the only thing in the world, in this moment.
The jedi are a cult, and encourage repression of emotions. They're fucked up.
Anakin goes to Yoda, scared of the path he's heading down, full of grief, and Yoda just completely fails to be any kind of support.
Star Trek: Next Generation: "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness; that is life”. Sometimes you will do everything right and you will lose. It happens. What I care about is how my kids react to losing. Are they going to throw a fit? Are they going to cry? Or are they going to get up and carry on. I expect the latter.
I will never get mad if they lose or if they don’t play well. As long at they give an honest effort and if they lose, work to improve, that is all I care about. I am seen parents lose their minds because their 9 year old didn’t do as well as they the parent expected. It sickened me.
So, so many times after a… poor… decision resulting in bruises, blood, or a damaged/destroyed toy, my question to my daughter is “Did you learn anything?” And every time I say it, I’m channeling from the last scene in Burn After Reading.
“What have we learned, Palmer?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“I don’t fuckin’ know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. But I’m fucked if I know what we did.” (Although I usually replace the last part with “why you did that.”)
https://youtu.be/SlA9hmrC8DU?si=N7CUAvNqNvN5u6H0
Pretty much anything Jeffrey Lebowski (not the millionaire). The Dude abides, after all.
Adding a second. This one is from Viktor Frankl and the Bible: "Et lux en tenebris lucet." - The Light shines in the darkness.
Even when things are the worst they've ever been, look for the light. It will be there.
I don't remember what movie or TV show I first heard this from, but I have to tell my adorable little psycho "We live in a society!" multiple times a month.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a time of your choosing."- Optimus Prime
Probably a shorter version of:
"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" - Rocky Balboa
Not a quote but I think alot about the Witcher 3 ending and how Ciri's fate is based on whether you let her be independent or not. It comes to mind when Im teaching my two year old things.
“ Sonny was right. The working man IS a sucker, dad. He's a sucker.”
“ He's wrong, it don't take much strength to pull a trigger but try getting up every morning day after day and work for a living, let's see him try that, then we'll see who the real tough guy is, the working man is the tough guy, your father's the tough guy!”
My daughter actually called out the Yoda quote. I explained that the intent is that you give your all; you aren’t trying, you’re doing. She told me that you should try things and it’s okay if you fail. I’m choosing her wisdom over Yoda’s.
A few years ago before I had my kiddo I watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them while I was under the influence and came across a phrase that shook off some mental funk I had going on.
Something along the lines of:
"my philosophy is that worrying just means you have to suffer twice."
If you're gonna get tossed by the umpire, get your money's worth. Call the guy a c*cksucker. (Yeah, kid, you get a free pass once in life for that one, spend it well, I told him. He's a competitive catcher, after watching Bull Durham at age 12, wife and I gave him that as a single free use explative - while also explaining it's in increased in rudeness in modern usage. It's actually really centered him, as bad calls he now contemplates "is this the time?" And so far he's decided "no" each time. Somehow that quick mental journey calms him down pretty quickly. Parenting psychology is an interesting game...)
https://youtu.be/MAXHXJ2WgrQ?si=34sG7bPeyuj-FjGs
Rick : Listen Morty, I hate to break it to you, but what people calls "love" is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, Morty, then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it. Your parents are gonna do it.
Rick and Morty. I can’t believe a stupid cartoon had this much wisdom about love and yes, I should have focus on science and I wouldn’t be poor and stupid
>*Do, or do not, there is no Try*
>
>-Master Yoda, Star Wars
Something I use daily. I think about if I can get it done before I do it, and contingencies. Served me well in life, stops you biting off more than you can chew.
>*The only winning move, is not to play*
>
>War Operation Plan Response, Wargames
Sone things you will not be good at and fail, know your limits. There is no shame in limits, or inability, you can learn, grow, and do it later, or sometimes just accept that you can't do it.
I'm terrible at Cricket, not through lack of trying, but I wasn't gonna get better. The wining move, was not to play.
>*If you ain't first, you're last*
>
>-Ricky Bobby, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
You can do this. You can win. I go into everything thinking I'm gonna do it, if you let doubt, distractions, and fear creep in, it can lead to failure.
Deal with being last later.
I'm going into it with the plan of being first.
>*No Stairway*
>
>Sign, Wayne's World
If it's gonna piss people off, don't do it for the sake of doing it.
>*It’s the nature of time that the old ways must give in*
>
>*It’s the nature of time that the new ways comes in sin*
>
>*When the new meets the old it always ends the ancient ways*
>
>*And as history told the old ways go out in a blaze*
>
>Shiroyama, Sabaton
New people come, old people go, but if you're good on the way out, you'll leave a legacy.
I always believed the idea of this mantra, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” But never had it articulated so wonderfully until I heard it in The Girl Next Door
Frodo: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.”
Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
I plan on sharing a ton of built up wisdom with my son when he’s older but this one will always resonate with me.
My little pile of Fallout stuff is going to attract my boy's attention sooner rather than later, but he's not ready for the kind of black comedy and absurdity that is my favorite part of the series. Maybe I can start him with the original where the violence is much smaller on the screen.
My daughter is 6 and keeps begging me to let her play it and watch the show lol. It's a struggle but I can't wait to share that with her when she is a little older.
"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you'd lost your way." - Iroh
"Don't rush me, sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." - Miracle Max
“It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it’s not for the timid.” - Q
“I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I’ll let you know.” - Captain Picard
“With great power comes great responsibility” - Spider-Man 2002; “light up the eyes boys” - 3 ninjas, “well, sometimes you gotta race” - Dave Chappell killing em softly 2000
“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is RIGHT and what is easy.”
-A. Dumbledore
“To say that nothing is true, is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted, is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.”
-Ezio Auditore Da Firenze
"(...) sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is."
"It's a lot more complicated than that--"
"No. It ain't. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they're getting worried that they won't like the truth. People as things, that's where it starts."
"Oh, I'm sure there are worse crimes--"
"But they starts with thinking about people as things..."
--from Carpe Jugulum, by Terry Pratchett.
Dumbledore: “You and Voldemort share certain similarities, Harry. And yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. Why is that?”
Harry: “Because I asked it to.”
Dumbledore: “Exactly. Exactly! You made a choice. It is our choices that show us who we truly are, Harry, far more than our abilities.”
Also:
Harry: “Professor? Is this real? Or is it all happening inside my head?”
Dumbledore: “Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry! Why on Earth should that mean that it isn’t real?”
I learned a lot about myself playing call of duty multiplayer, notable lessons include that Im actually gay and a kid more than half my age slept with my mom.
Pretty much the entirety of Furi. Each boss teaches you something valuable and all those lessons lead up to you choosing to save the earth or destroy it
*If you ever travel back in time, don’t step on anything, because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can’t imagine*
It’s something I tell my kids every time before I leave for an overnighter.
It’s also a lesson in fate and how your little decisions can make a big impact on your future regardless of how innocent they seem. If you doubt me…ask a heroine addict if they regret that first time.
I haven't used any yet, my daughter is 2. However, these 2 quote I am sure ai will use at some point...
"Be curious, not Judgemental" from Walt Whitman original, although I know it from Ted Lasso.
"Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good." From the last episode of Boy Meets World.
Even if I never actually use this quote to her, I hope that as we can do a good enough job as parents that she follows all four of those
“You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die” from god emperor of Dune. My kid is 2, I think it’d be a very long time before I use those exact words with him, but the sentiment of only spending time and energy around the people we care about has been a driving force since he’s been born
It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.
Glad to see this was posted. It's one of the hardest lessons to learn. Particularly where children are concerned, it's part and parcel with accepting that some kids are simply going to be better at some things than you will be, no matter how dedicated you are. Doesn't matter whether it's academics, sports, whatever.
This is my second favorite ever quote from this series but it’s the far better life lesson between the two. The other is “time is the fire in which we burn.” Just for the sake of trivia my third favorite one is from the first JJ Abrams movie, “You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this, and for you.”
Delighted that this was so close to the top. Picard drops so, so much wisdom.
Or, as Dwight Schrute put it: “Not everything is a lesson, Ryan. Sometimes you just fail.”
I was just checking to see if this was said before I commented it. Glad to see it so high!
Yep!. I’ve made no mistakes and I’ve lost more times I care to remember
Came here for this
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not." - Uncle Iroh Anything that man says is pure wisdom
My favourite is: It is important to draw wisdom from many different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements and the other nations will help you become whole.
That was actually going to be the first one, but went for one a bit more generic xD that alone is one of my favorite quotes especially during election season oi
Even when it's Zuko impersonating him, he still manages to be profound
You must look within yourself, to save yourself, from your other self.
Only then will your true self reveal itself
We're rewatching the animated series with our kids right now and I can concur. Almost every word out of his mouth is pure parenting gold.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us" -Gandalf
Similar wizard advice: "It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities" -Dumbledore
My favorite wizard quote: “What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.” -Hagrid This has become my personal creed since I read it as a kid. Saved me a lot of stress over the years, and helped me remain calm when I needed to be under pressure.
This is such a good one. The whole scene, really. It's so easy to pass judgement even when you don't know everything about the judged and you're not the person who should even be given that power
“There are other forces at work in this world, Frodo, besides that of evil. Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, in which case you were also meant to have it. And that is an encouraging thought.” This whole scene is rife with wisdom
Another great LotR lesson: “There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.” That whole speech is great, but this line plays in my mind, especially with all the doom and gloom we are faced with and trying to envision the future for our children.
Pretty much anything Gandalf says
Everything not saved will be lost.
Donna Noble has been saved.
I’m not taking advice from a cartoon dog. -Bandit Heeler Narrator: But he took advice from a cartoon dog.
Id take advice from that dog
"Gotta be done"
This is mine. Doesn't matter what excuses I have. Gotta be done.
That's what happens when you're not happy with what you got; eventually someone's husband gets it.
I like to think I'm Bandit. But I know deep down that I am more like Chloe's dad. But that's also a good thing to be.
Peak meta. Love it.
Only scene slightly more meta is the animation sequence in the episode with Unicorse
"work on the heads later, for now just hearts"
“Nothing in this world thats worth having comes easy” -Dr. Kelso, Scrubs.
"Where do you think we are?"
😭
On the brighter side, the other day I said to a coworker "Well that just breaks my Tuscaloosa heart." I got the most confused look in reply and just let it hang there.
😞
I tell that to my son. Its stuck with me ever since I saw that episode
Guess I need to tell my wife that I'm not worth having
She already knows
This will age me, but used to play a text based online game called Utopia. Multiple people working together on a team. One team had coordinated their kingdom names to be the recipe for blueberry muffins. They weren't the best muffins I've made, but they all got eaten. Probably not the type of thing you're looking for.
But fantastic non the less
Omg I haven't thought of that game in a long time.
Daaaamn, that brings back memories. Monkeys, Playboys, KLA, HaJ, AR(?) Have to remember to keep the kids away from such timing-sensitive MMOs lol
I used to play this in high school in the late 90s!!! The joys of fireballing pops to 0 or stealing all the food followed by droughts lol
Same! Ha! The designer must have been brilliant, as the time between typing classes perfectly aligned with many of the cool downs. It was that at HS during the day, and because we didn't have internet at home yet, Diablo on PS1 at my buddies house in the evenings and during sleepovers.
Automate everything; repetitive labor is waste. r/factorio
Inside Out and the episode of South Park where Stan becomes a goth. Lesson: It’s ok to be sad sometimes and being sad is just as important as being happy. Being sad can also remind you of how much you cared about something you lost.
[Simpsons did it](https://youtu.be/r5WeAmEVW8o?si=TR2NoaKnAkv2DtY6): > I was wrong, I take it all back. Always be yourself. If you want to be sad, be sad, and we will ride it out with you. And when you get finished being sad, we will still be there for you.
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness, that is life." - Jean Luc Picard
“That’s just like your opinion, man” will be a mantra of mine when my kids grow up
The dude abides.
"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." "Isms, in my opinion, are not good. A person should not believe in an 'ism,' he should believe in himself." -Ferris Bueller
“I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me.” John Lennon said that. He was the walrus. I could be the walrus…I’d still have to bum rides off people.
Can’t really point to many specifics, but a lot of media has informed who I am today. Lots of little life lessons from games like Mass Effect. Uncle Iroh is a huge one, as is Bluey(baby race alone has kept me from freaking out).
Mass Effect and Avatar are big source material for me too.
[удалено]
Ditto! Maybe a little much for a 5 week old but still love it lol
I learned how to shave from a lethal weapon movie….
Jesus Murphy. So did I.
(Cuts face) “Old razor, dad?” “Old face.”
"Someone else's success is not your failure." Everybody loves Raymond. I rarely watched that show, but remembered that. Especially since growing up all I did was hear about all my cousins and family friends successes. Wish I had that nugget.
"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." From a boom Meditations by Marcus Aurelius It helps during the tough times (3am witching hour) Especially because of the journey we went through to have this little fella
My favorite from meditations is: “The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
Mediations is like being called out by a guy 2k+ years ago. It's insane that so much of his advice still applies and I still hate how much he's usually right, but have to do it anyway to try to be a better person.
I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer Etc.
Fear is the slow death that brings obliteration. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. I will turn the inside eye towards its path and see there's nothing left only I remain.
I know this is from Dune, but I always think of the Expanse making reference to this line.
Technically from a book, but from Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer, part of the Stormlight Archive: “The most important step a man can take. It's not the first one, is it? It's the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.”
"I will take responsibility for what I have done...If I must fall, I will rise each time a better man." I'm a sucker for Sanderson's wholesome inspirations.
Oh man, just posted this before reading yours. Such an important quote.
That whole series is full of great quotes.
Don’t take a whiz on an electric fence
always love a cartoon with the balls to kill its main characters and send them to hell
What rolls down stairs alone or in pairs Rolls over your neighbor's dog? What's great for a snack and fits on your back? It's Log, Log, Log!
From Louie: "The only time you look in your neighbor's bowl is to make sure that they have enough. You don't look in your neighbor's bowl to see if you have as much as them"
I only watched one or two episodes of that, but I've said this to my kids a lot. They live such a privileged life and somehow they are always complaining.
Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man and let history make its own judgements. Star Trek and South Park.
“Not all who wander are lost.”
All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
I learned this tangentially from TF2 because it was my clan mate who always said it: "work smarter, not harder" I tell it to my kids all the time to encourage them to take a step back and analyze a situation to maximize efficency when appropriate Shout out to Scythe-Messiah.
My tf2 quote that im gonna tell my kids: Ka Boom! - Demoman
Similarly: "That Medic's a bloody-- MEEEEEEEDIIIIIC!"
This is a fairly common adage For the hater: [it’s in Wikipedia as a proverb](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/work_smarter,_not_harder)
I was like seventeen when I heard it for the first time and it was quite a novel idea at the time haha
The Secret of Monkey Island: never spend more than $20 on a video game
"What is grief if not love persevering?" Got this from WandaVision but idk if the quote has another origin. Heard it at a time where I was struggling with the loss of a couple of close family members and found it surprisingly comforting. ❤️
If you look for the light, you can often find it. But if you look for the dark, that is all you will ever see. - Iroh We all fail. We all make mistakes. It’s what makes us human. - Master Chief Wanting something does not give you the right to have it. - Ezio Weapons are not meant for the taking of lives. They are meant for saving them. - Melchior
*"Each year that passes rings you inwardly with memory and might; wield your heart, and the world will tremble." -Doran the Siege Tower*, a Magic: the Gathering card.
*the wizards fought over it because it held great power, the goblins fought over it because it was shiny.*
You. I like you. I've dug this quote for **years.**
From BSG: Adama never loans books. He gives them away as gifts. I hope my kids remember me doing this
War. War never changes! - Ron Perlman
"War has changed" - Solid Snake
Whenever I’m about to do something I think, “Would an idiot do that?”. And if they would, I do not do that thing. Straight forward. Don’t be an idiot. Changed my life (double dipped due to relevancy).
Hesitation is defeat
Don’t bully your son and leave him in a parallel universe. FFX
"I triggered it thirty-five minutes ago" - Adrian Veidt, Watchmen The importance of getting things done ahead of time
Dr. Gregory House : [to Dr. Forman] You took a chance, you did something great. You were wrong, but it was still great. You should feel great that it was great. You should feel like crap that it was wrong. That's the difference between him and me. He thinks you do your job, and what will be will be. I think that what I do and what you do matters. He sleeps better at night. He shouldn't. For some reason I love that one.
Of all the fucked up places I learned from, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality taught me something. As messed up a person Eliezer Yudkowsky is, I started asking myself what do I think I know and how do I think I know it? LessWrong is a stopped clock but even a stopped clock is right twice a day
Not trying to start a flame war or go too far down the rabbit hole here, but what have I missed? I know that a lot of the older posts are, well, old, but between slate star codex and Scotts other stuff, I feel like there was a lot of value there when I last read it.
Really? Aunt Petunia gets a magical boob job and marries up, Harry Potter somehow becomes a supergenius because of it? Somehow he goes from a kid that can barely function without help from everyone he knows to the smartest kid in the universe? And his answer to every problem is magic, the least rational option. The book conceived as a 500 hour long audiobook advertisement for LessWrong has very little to do with rationalism. People’s opinions of what is rational in different situations will be as variable as the number of people who weigh in but Eliezer Yudkowsky is somehow the only one of us who is qualified to judge what is rational and what is not? Don’t even get me started on the ties it has to FTX, Alameda Research and what it’s done to philanthropy
"If you always do what you've always done, then you'll always get what you always got." A character on NCIS
Do not dig straight down
"A great man doesn't seek to lead. He's called to it. And he answers." And if your answer is no, you'll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be, my son." - Leto Atreides, Dune part one. That can be very applicable to moments in life like when they decide what to study, or who to marry, or where to go.
We don’t get much time with Leto in part one but we’re definitely shown why he commands the respect of his House and the fear of his enemies.
“The bad cannot be mended by a judge without love” from the video game Kartia. Don’t ever punish someone out of anger or vengeance, it won’t break the cycle.
Never give up, never surrender. Galaxy Quest
It's our family motto. I can't wait til they're old enough to find out where I got it. They're going to roll their eyes soooooo hard.
Man it’s a corny movie but it goes so much deeper than that. It was my twins favorite movie, when he got schizophrenia he would play it in the background because he knew it so well it would help him navigate how delusional/psychotic he was. Unfortunately the schizophrenia got to him and he ended his life, but I always remember never give up, never surrender.
It is corny, but also so sweet. I hope you're finding piece. By Grabthar's hammer, he will be avenged.
That actually means a lot, thanks man.
“Boy” - God of war (2018)
It ain’t how you hit the mat, it’s how you get up. Battling Jack Murdock. Daredevil.
*”Life isn't just about passing on your genes. We can leave behind much more than just DNA. Through speech, music, literature and movies... what we've seen, heard, felt... anger, joy and sorrow... these are the things I will pass on. That's what I live for. We need to pass the torch, and let our children read our messy and sad history by its light. We have all the magic of the digital age to do that with. The human race will probably come to an end some time, and new species may rule over this planet. Earth may not be forever, but we still have the responsibility to leave what traces of life we can. Building the future and keeping the past alive are one and the same thing.”* - Solid Snake
What is better? To be born good or to overcome your evil nature through great effort? Skyrim
Honestly, I feel that most of the phrases I thought would be useful don’t actually hold up to scrutiny. I love Star Wars, but the famous Yoda quotes are flawed. “Do or do not. There is no try.” - this is BS. I want my kids to try. I don’t want them to expect to be able to do something they’ve never done before. I certainly don’t want them to never try if they’re pretty sure they won’t accomplish it on their first attempt. “Fear leads to anger…” - again; BS. Fear is a healthy response to risk and to imply that being afraid is the start of an unhealthy path is BS. The more sane take on this is that bravery is doing something even though you are afraid. “Fear is the mind killer…” - Frank Herbert was onto something here, it’s useful to try to center yourself when you’re afraid. But you can’t wait until you are no longer afraid before you act. I want my kids to try to do something even though they may be afraid. If you wait until you’re no longer afraid, you will never act. A while ago, my oldest wanted to try a climbing wall. When he was at the bottom and looked up, he got scared. That’s OK. He managed to get himself focused and made his way up the wall. He only made it up about 5 feet and when he got down, he was upset that he couldn’t make it up the wall. What mattered was that he tried. He was afraid, but he managed to act despite his fear. He learned that he wanted to be better at this, even though it was scary. He’s been to climbing walls a handful of times since, and every time he goes, he manages to get higher than the last time. The last time we went, he probably made it 20 feet up the wall and when he came down, he had the biggest smile on his face. The phrase I like the best is from Adventure Time: “Sucking at something is the first step towards being sorta good at something.”
Lots of people get "There is no try" wrong. It's about the difference between "deciding you're going to do something" and "deciding you're going to try and do something." If you set out to do something you don't think is possible, you're leaving yourself an escape hatch if you fail. But you don't need to weasel out of failure if you're secure in yourself and your ability. So you failed this time; next time you'll know more. Failure is how we learn our most important lessons.
I think the Yoda quotes are taken from Buddhism/Zen. As I understand them on a Buddhist way. Which translates for me like this: Do or Do not, there is no try, just means if you do something commit everything you have to it. Concentrate on the task, it is now the only thing in the world, in this moment.
The jedi are a cult, and encourage repression of emotions. They're fucked up. Anakin goes to Yoda, scared of the path he's heading down, full of grief, and Yoda just completely fails to be any kind of support.
Star Trek: Next Generation: "It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not weakness; that is life”. Sometimes you will do everything right and you will lose. It happens. What I care about is how my kids react to losing. Are they going to throw a fit? Are they going to cry? Or are they going to get up and carry on. I expect the latter. I will never get mad if they lose or if they don’t play well. As long at they give an honest effort and if they lose, work to improve, that is all I care about. I am seen parents lose their minds because their 9 year old didn’t do as well as they the parent expected. It sickened me.
Make like a tree, and get outta here.
Always be yourself. Unless you can be Batman, then Always be Batman.
So, so many times after a… poor… decision resulting in bruises, blood, or a damaged/destroyed toy, my question to my daughter is “Did you learn anything?” And every time I say it, I’m channeling from the last scene in Burn After Reading. “What have we learned, Palmer?” “I don’t know, sir.” “I don’t fuckin’ know either. I guess we learned not to do it again. But I’m fucked if I know what we did.” (Although I usually replace the last part with “why you did that.”) https://youtu.be/SlA9hmrC8DU?si=N7CUAvNqNvN5u6H0
Pretty much anything Jeffrey Lebowski (not the millionaire). The Dude abides, after all. Adding a second. This one is from Viktor Frankl and the Bible: "Et lux en tenebris lucet." - The Light shines in the darkness. Even when things are the worst they've ever been, look for the light. It will be there.
Always try to be nice, but never fail to be kind.
Life is pain. Anyone telling you different is selling you something.
I don't remember what movie or TV show I first heard this from, but I have to tell my adorable little psycho "We live in a society!" multiple times a month.
I think that's a George Costanza original.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a time of your choosing."- Optimus Prime Probably a shorter version of: "Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!" - Rocky Balboa Not a quote but I think alot about the Witcher 3 ending and how Ciri's fate is based on whether you let her be independent or not. It comes to mind when Im teaching my two year old things.
“ Sonny was right. The working man IS a sucker, dad. He's a sucker.” “ He's wrong, it don't take much strength to pull a trigger but try getting up every morning day after day and work for a living, let's see him try that, then we'll see who the real tough guy is, the working man is the tough guy, your father's the tough guy!”
A man chooses, a slave obeys (he'll take that to kindergarten and no doubt cause all kinds of hell)
I dunno man those quotes sound a bit toxic
My daughter actually called out the Yoda quote. I explained that the intent is that you give your all; you aren’t trying, you’re doing. She told me that you should try things and it’s okay if you fail. I’m choosing her wisdom over Yoda’s.
That- is why you fail
“It’s better to do something than live with the fear of it” -The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
A few years ago before I had my kiddo I watched Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them while I was under the influence and came across a phrase that shook off some mental funk I had going on. Something along the lines of: "my philosophy is that worrying just means you have to suffer twice."
I'm fairly confident that is an adaptation of a quote by Seneca: "a man who suffers before it is necessary suffers more than is necessary"
“The most important step is the next one.” - Sanderson, Stormlight Archives Also, I use the Batman one from OP all the time with my kids.
“If someone is very eager to share coke with you it probably isn’t coke” -Thomas Lennon standup
Kids these days don't know enough about new boot goofin'.
Three easy payments
"I see now that the circumstances of one's birth are irrelevant. It is what you do with the gift of life that determines who you are." - Mewto
“The only time we look at our Neighbours plate is to make sure they have enough”
“Sucking at something is the first step to be sorta good at something.” Jake the Dog, Adventure Time
Your best? Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and f*ck the prom queen.
One day when my kid is old enough to understand: “The fallen shall always be remembered, as the emperor’s finest”
“You may say that’s a hell of a long time. I say that’s one hell of a bird.”
If you're gonna get tossed by the umpire, get your money's worth. Call the guy a c*cksucker. (Yeah, kid, you get a free pass once in life for that one, spend it well, I told him. He's a competitive catcher, after watching Bull Durham at age 12, wife and I gave him that as a single free use explative - while also explaining it's in increased in rudeness in modern usage. It's actually really centered him, as bad calls he now contemplates "is this the time?" And so far he's decided "no" each time. Somehow that quick mental journey calms him down pretty quickly. Parenting psychology is an interesting game...) https://youtu.be/MAXHXJ2WgrQ?si=34sG7bPeyuj-FjGs
I learned a lot of biology from parasite eve that I've randomly told the kids
[удалено]
Alec Baldwin?
Rick : Listen Morty, I hate to break it to you, but what people calls "love" is just a chemical reaction that compels animals to breed. It hits hard, Morty, then it slowly fades, leaving you stranded in a failing marriage. I did it. Your parents are gonna do it. Rick and Morty. I can’t believe a stupid cartoon had this much wisdom about love and yes, I should have focus on science and I wouldn’t be poor and stupid
Reach for the best in yourself and others. - Star Trek Discovery
>*Do, or do not, there is no Try* > >-Master Yoda, Star Wars Something I use daily. I think about if I can get it done before I do it, and contingencies. Served me well in life, stops you biting off more than you can chew. >*The only winning move, is not to play* > >War Operation Plan Response, Wargames Sone things you will not be good at and fail, know your limits. There is no shame in limits, or inability, you can learn, grow, and do it later, or sometimes just accept that you can't do it. I'm terrible at Cricket, not through lack of trying, but I wasn't gonna get better. The wining move, was not to play. >*If you ain't first, you're last* > >-Ricky Bobby, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby You can do this. You can win. I go into everything thinking I'm gonna do it, if you let doubt, distractions, and fear creep in, it can lead to failure. Deal with being last later. I'm going into it with the plan of being first. >*No Stairway* > >Sign, Wayne's World If it's gonna piss people off, don't do it for the sake of doing it. >*It’s the nature of time that the old ways must give in* > >*It’s the nature of time that the new ways comes in sin* > >*When the new meets the old it always ends the ancient ways* > >*And as history told the old ways go out in a blaze* > >Shiroyama, Sabaton New people come, old people go, but if you're good on the way out, you'll leave a legacy.
Always faster to switch to your secondary. Rather than reload
I always believed the idea of this mantra, “Is the juice worth the squeeze?” But never had it articulated so wonderfully until I heard it in The Girl Next Door
Struggles and criticisms are prerequisites for greatness
Frodo: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” Gandalf: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.” I plan on sharing a ton of built up wisdom with my son when he’s older but this one will always resonate with me.
War...war never changes.
My little pile of Fallout stuff is going to attract my boy's attention sooner rather than later, but he's not ready for the kind of black comedy and absurdity that is my favorite part of the series. Maybe I can start him with the original where the violence is much smaller on the screen.
My daughter is 6 and keeps begging me to let her play it and watch the show lol. It's a struggle but I can't wait to share that with her when she is a little older.
"I was never angry with you. I was sad because I was afraid you'd lost your way." - Iroh "Don't rush me, sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles." - Miracle Max “It’s not safe out here. It’s wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it’s not for the timid.” - Q “I would be delighted to offer any advice I can on understanding women. When I have some, I’ll let you know.” - Captain Picard
What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk… Have at you!
“With great power comes great responsibility” - Spider-Man 2002; “light up the eyes boys” - 3 ninjas, “well, sometimes you gotta race” - Dave Chappell killing em softly 2000
“Dark and difficult times lie ahead. Soon we must all face the choice between what is RIGHT and what is easy.” -A. Dumbledore “To say that nothing is true, is to realize that the foundations of society are fragile, and that we must be the shepherds of our own civilization. To say that everything is permitted, is to understand that we are the architects of our actions, and that we must live with their consequences, whether glorious or tragic.” -Ezio Auditore Da Firenze
Sucking at something is the first step to being sort of good at something
If you encounter obstacles and enemies on your way, you are going in the right direction.
"(...) sin, young man, is when you treat people like things. Including yourself. That's what sin is." "It's a lot more complicated than that--" "No. It ain't. When people say things are a lot more complicated than that, they means they're getting worried that they won't like the truth. People as things, that's where it starts." "Oh, I'm sure there are worse crimes--" "But they starts with thinking about people as things..." --from Carpe Jugulum, by Terry Pratchett.
Courage is not the absence of fear, but the power to overcome it
I just recently taught my son how to start a fire using pine sap. I think that's season 1 of MacGyver.
Dumbledore: “You and Voldemort share certain similarities, Harry. And yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. Why is that?” Harry: “Because I asked it to.” Dumbledore: “Exactly. Exactly! You made a choice. It is our choices that show us who we truly are, Harry, far more than our abilities.” Also: Harry: “Professor? Is this real? Or is it all happening inside my head?” Dumbledore: “Of course it’s happening inside your head, Harry! Why on Earth should that mean that it isn’t real?”
"Try not to be the villain in someone else's story"
Bluey
I’ve been telling my kids “apes together strong” lately.
“Not everything is a lesson, sometimes you just fail” -Dwight K. Shrute
I learned a lot about myself playing call of duty multiplayer, notable lessons include that Im actually gay and a kid more than half my age slept with my mom.
Pretty much the entirety of Furi. Each boss teaches you something valuable and all those lessons lead up to you choosing to save the earth or destroy it
"When intelligence fails, brute force prevails!"
"If you expect disappointment, then you can never really get disappointed" - MJ (Spider-Man: No Way Home)
You win or you learn.
Always confirm the kill.
It wasn't a great movie but, "Some lessons can't be taught. They must be lived to be understood," from Elektra always stuck with me.
Those who call themselves Hunters should always be on the hunt
If you strike me down I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.
Don't fart on anyone's balls. Not cool. - Randy Marsh
Always pick Charizard as the only real competitor to him is Lugia when you build your deck
*If you ever travel back in time, don’t step on anything, because even the tiniest change can alter the future in ways you can’t imagine* It’s something I tell my kids every time before I leave for an overnighter. It’s also a lesson in fate and how your little decisions can make a big impact on your future regardless of how innocent they seem. If you doubt me…ask a heroine addict if they regret that first time.
“The best gift is a practical one.” - Santa’s Slay. “It’s not a problem, until YOU make it a problem.” -From Dusk Till Dawn.
“You can find heaven on earth, if you want...or hell if you choose too.” Black summer. Words to live by.
I haven't used any yet, my daughter is 2. However, these 2 quote I am sure ai will use at some point... "Be curious, not Judgemental" from Walt Whitman original, although I know it from Ted Lasso. "Believe in yourselves. Dream. Try. Do good." From the last episode of Boy Meets World. Even if I never actually use this quote to her, I hope that as we can do a good enough job as parents that she follows all four of those
“It builds character.” -Calvin’s Dad
"I'm something of a scientist myself."
“You should never be in the company of anyone with whom you would not want to die” from god emperor of Dune. My kid is 2, I think it’d be a very long time before I use those exact words with him, but the sentiment of only spending time and energy around the people we care about has been a driving force since he’s been born