Expansion Of Ideas

The state of mind called “contentment” depends much more on our character than on the amount of our possessions. The discontented man may be heard to say that, if he were as rich as some neighbor whom he envies, he would be perfectly satisfied. Give him the particular amount of wealth that he has set his mind upon, and he will find some still richer man to envy, and be as discontented as ever. “A small coin of silver.” as the Persian Poet Sadi. says, “makes a beggar contented: Faridun with his kingdom of Persia is half satisfied.” The possibility of remaining discontented in spite of success and prosperity arises from the insatiable nature of our desires, and the common tendency always to long for something better than our present condition. What is out of our reach seems valuable till we get it, and when possessed loses its value, so that it is natural for us to be always dissatisfied. This is unfortunately the character of most men. There are, however, some happily...

Sometimes we see dark clouds in the sky. But if we look at them closely, we can see that their edges are sunlit white. This silver lining tells us that the sun is somewhere behind the clouds. Such clouds do not remain in the sky for a long time. They disappear quickly and the sky is clear again with the silver light of the sun. The proverb expresses the idea that sorrows and misfortunes are only temporary. Sorrows will be followed by happiness. Whenever there is shadow, light must be nearly. Whenever there is darkness, daylight is near. Behind every grief and pain, there is a silver thread of joy and happiness. Joys and sorrows are part of life. We should not lose hope in times of sorrow.  The proverb teaches us to be optimistic in life. Sweet are the uses of adversity. The sorrows and calamities may be a blessing in disguise. They strengthen us to face the greater misfortunes in life boldly. Only when one goes through the difficulties of life, one becomes a complete man...

Foolish people are often reckless, attempting feats that the wise avoid. This saying is from “An Essay on Criticism,” by Alexander Pope and relates to decision making. Actually, the proverb warns us against hasty and thoughtless action. It is unwise to be hasty. Prudent people are always very careful in their dealings with others. They think twice before they act as Napoleon Hill says, "Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another." So, the wise and prudent people think of the consequences of their actions and will act only if they can succeed. Such people won’t jump to hasty conclusions and so they normally succeed in what they do. But foolish people act hastily without proper thought. They won’t think of the consequences of their actions. They will jump to hasty conclusions and so they be unsuccessful in their endeavours. When foolish people lose the game by acting hastily, wise m...