Ask HN: What's Your Personal Motto?
Do you have a personal motto and what it is?
> While our immediate problems tend to distract us in everyday life, having a mantra can help us stay in touch with our deepest goals. Mottos ultimately can do many things, such as increase your productivity, inspire you, or help you change a habit. [1]
[1] 9 Reasons You Need a Personal Motto, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/changepower/201508/9-reasons-you-need-personal-motto
76 comments
[ 3.9 ms ] story [ 142 ms ] threadAll philosophy boils down to those two words in the end.
Edit: of course that I use it mostly when something bad happens, something that's maybe unlikely but possible. That's when I tell my peers «these are things that happen». Like, after a robbery or something. Son cosas que pasan
"It all works out in the end, and in the end, we're all dead."
-Abraham Lincoln
(But someone’s gotta do it).
In our age of digital Devices and social media, we are used to having instant access to information and news. This can be a good thing, but it can also lead to information overload and anxiety. The constant stream of alerts and notifications can make it difficult to focus, and we can become bombarded with so much information that it becomes difficult to process it all.
The Latin phrase "armor fati" means "to armor oneself against fate." In other words, it means to be prepared for the worst. This is a good mindset to have in our fast-paced, constantly-connected world. We should take the time to step back and assess the situation, rather than blindly following the latest news cycle.
Of course, this is not to say that we should live in fear or ignore the news altogether. But we should be mindful of how much information we consume, and make sure that we are taking the time to process it all. Otherwise, we may find ourselves overwhelmed and bogged down by the constant deluge of information.
"If the world hates you, remember it hated me [Christ] first."
(I don't really have a "motto", this is a good mantra though)
Edit: also, "if you dislike change, you'll like irrelevance even less" - General Shinseki, US Army
And
"If you don't lie, you never have to remember anything" - attributed to Mark Twain
"The noblest kind of retribution is to not become like your enemy"
Marcus Aurelius
Said when a maniac flies by me on the highway.
(the whispered “hell” after that sentence is understood.)
(I borrowed this one.)
I realized that super-dumb and super-smart people often get to the same conclusions. So often times, when I find myself stuck, I remind myself to think stupid before making a decision.
Move fast and break things. Prove them wrong.