"Abilities versus Choices" & Choice Quotes
May 08, 2013
In one of the Harry Potter movies, Dumbledore the wise wizard says: "It is not our abilities that show who we really are, it is our choices."
Of course, Dumbledore is a fictional character, but a character everyone admires. Why? Because he represents courage, perspective, careful reasoning and wisdom. He was willing to be "The Force for GOOD" regardless of political pressure and public opinion.
A book, "As a Man Thinketh", inspired some of my preparation for the lecture. Written in 1902 by James Allen, the writing style is a little old-fashioned but his words merit being read -- and repeated. Here an excerpt:
"Man is made or unmade by himself. In the armory of thought he forges
the weapons by which he destroys himself; he also fashions the tools
with which he builds for himself."
"By the right choice and
true application of thought, man ascends to the Divine Perfection; by
the abuse and wrong application of thought, he descends."
“...as they may have been hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness.”
A very interesting perspective about individuals making "choices" within a community is presented in this TED Talk by "Dan Ariely: Our buggy moral code".
Reflecting on the words of Jonah Lehrer, How does our "desire for attention, a willingness to take shortcuts, and a carelessness provided that no one will notice" affect our choices?
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, "Small actions by large numbers of people can bring about profound change."
Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can
change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Change has started.....but it is up to
everyone to keep it going.
Share the links to the posts. Share the links
to the lecture "The GOOD, The BAD, and The UGLY in the AGE of the Internet". Create visibility for the issues.
Do we have the strength and courage to stand up against naive, uninformed, or self-serving choices? Even small efforts by each of us can proliferate into profound impact.