What is the wisest thing you have heard?

“The search is what anyone would undertake if he were not sunk in the everydayness of his own life. To become aware of the possibility of the search is to be onto something. Not to be onto something is to be in despair.”

― Walker Percy

Everything is only as important as you make it.

Irrational people are still capable of action, and thus can not be ignored.

Not to be flippant at all, but some of the wisest things I’ve ever heard have been small, simple sayings, expressions, or aphorisms. These are usually given me by a grandparent, parent, or other similar figure whether family or not.

“Don’t oversalt your meat/soup/whatever-you’re-cooking-for-dinner.” Seriously. Again, not being flippant or dismissive here. The recommendation to not oversalt one’s food is wise. I’ll tell you why. First of all, most obviously, food that is too salty is distasteful and by putting too much salt on or in a meal could result in waste if no one will eat it. Second, it encourages you to focus your attention on the moment, on only what you are doing. To avoid putting too much salt you must not be too preoccupied with other things. You have to add a little, mix up the food, taste test, and repeat if needed. It takes patience and caution. Third, it can be applied to almost anything else in life. Essentially, “don’t oversalt your food” means “moderation.” This applies to pepper and other spices, alcohol and other drugs, how much you speak, when you speak, etc. Wise words. Thanks, grandma! Thanks, mom!

If I come up with more I will share!