Tag: Wisdom

We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are – Quote, Two References

SATURDAY PUZZLE — It’s not really a secret that we all see, feel, smell and hear things differently. If you have ever sat through a course in philosophy, you know that our perception of what is “real” is based not on what something actually is, but what we say it is. Which is always incredibly disappointing to a teenager who has come to college to discover the “real” world (“That’s it?! That’s all there is to it? Can I go now?”)

The quote that is normally attributed to the writer ANAÏS NIN, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are” is also a Talmudic idea about dream analysis: People can only dream about things they have encountered or thought about, and so their dreams consist not of reality — whatever that is — but is instead a version filtered through the lens of the dreamer’s experiences.
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Let’s look at 52A, for example. I make my living on the internet. I spend a good deal of time interacting with people — most of them very nice — online. But when I first read the clue “On-line jerks?” I immediately thought that the answer must be TROLLS, because in my mental neighborhood, that’s what online jerks are called.

Whoops! Not enough squares for TROLLS. Also, I didn’t notice that hyphen in “On-line.” My bad. Maybe the clue means something else.

Do we have any fishing hobbyists out there?

Maybe you got it right the first time. If you have a fish on the line (“On-line”) and the line jerks, those are called BITES.

Deb Amlen, NYTIMES

Author’s Note: Long before Derrida and deconstruction, the Talmud said, quite sagely, “We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.” As far as I am concerned, every word of this book is the complete and total truth. But of course, it’s my truth. So to protect the innocent—as well as the guilty—I have changed most names. Otherwise, unfortunately for me, every detail is accurate.

Wurtzel, Elizabeth. Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America

Sports Wisdom

The best ability is availability.
Proverbial

Take it one game at a time.
Proverbial 

Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton
Wellington

The Score Takes Care of Itself
Bill Walsh, Title of book by 

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”
Mike Tyson

“You miss one hundred percent of the shots you don’t take.”
Wayne Gretzky

“Eighty percent of life is showing up.” – Woody Allen

“First, you have to psych yourself into a good night’s sleep, after having arranged a fool proof wake-up call. Second, you have to be sure of your transportation arrangements when you do get up in the morning because your time is their money, and if you don’t know how you are getting to the studio or the location on time, you won’t have the job when you do get there, late. Establish where to go (the venue of your shoot might always be changing) and then mentally rehearse your journey there as if it were the first scene in the film. You’ve got to get your own act together before the camera’s act can begin. Being prepared isn’t just for the demands of your part; it’s also for the demands of the studio or location. You must get your bearings and establish where to go and what to do when you get there.”

Acting in Film: An Actor’s Take on Movie Making, Michael Caine