User:BurningLibrary/Notes

A page for personal notes. According to Wikiquote:User page, users "can create subpages … by adding a slash (/) and the name of the subpage after [their] username". This is such a page.

Wholesome quotes

"We share this planet with lots of other creatures."

• The first of the precepts is, "I undertake the training to refrain from killing living beings." We are vastly interrelated and that interrelatedness needs to be recognized. We share this planet with lots of other creatures. They have as much right to be here as we do. So we want to act towards them in ways that are in harmony with this interrelatedness and not generate the hate that is necessary to kill something. So we undertake the training to refrain from killing living beings, which includes the insects and spiders that might annoy you, as well as your fellow human beings. … If there is a spider in your room, get a cup, get a piece of paper, trap the spider and take it outside.
  • Leigh Brasington: "The Precepts". In More Right Concentration, a supplement to Right Concentration.

Although I haven't established notability yet, this quote is pleasantly wholesome and it would be worthwhile to collect more quotes like it. Or one could go in a more general direction, e.g.,

• By spreading thoughts of goodwill and equanimity to all beings, you take your mind out of its everyday narratives and create a broader perspective for your meditation.
  • Thanissaro Bikkhu: With Each & Every Breath

In this quote, "all beings" refers to all living beings, not only human beings. The following quote also expresses a similar sentiment:

• He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.
  • Immanuel Kant: Lectures on Ethics, "Of Duties to Animals and Spirits"

In general, wholesome quotes are by far the easiest to work with, so much so that we may suggest the following rule of thumb:

If you are unsure what to do, pick the wholesome category and stay there. There is no safer space.

In time, we will have to consider more challenging categories, but this is a nice principle to come back to.

Flattering quotes

A flattering quote is a quote that depicts its subject in a favorable light. Flattering quotes are easy to work with, and they usually compose well.

A flattering quote collection is one where every quote is flattering. An example is the endorsement quotes that are presented in the opening pages of some books.

For the most part, contributing flattering quotes is an inherently wholesome thing to do. There may be some complexities when dealing with controversial subjects, but I hold the view that every human being has the right to be flattered. (If one has to argue the point, one might consider that it would hardly be possible to write a biography about anyone without acknowledging that every human being has done some good in their life.)

The key, when working with flattering quotes, is to look for quotes which are both flattering and insightful.

Insightful quotes

An insightful quote is a quote that conveys a deep idea or insight, ideally in a concise and eloquent way.

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