How to make best use of criticism

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.”  Winston Churchill Most of us are natural critics but very few of us accept criticism with an open mind and the right attitude to learn from [...]

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The way to change MYSELF

Many people have ideas on how others should change; few people have ideas on how they should change. Leo Tolstoy There is plenty of free advice floating around, most of it liberally dished out by ordinary folks who believe they have a solution to everyone else’s problem. Sadly in most cases if the problem is [...]

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The art of being smart

Half of being smart is knowing what you are dumb about.Solomon Short In our own way, each of us would have some competencies that give us the edge over others but that does not necessarily mean that we are smart. When we can recognize our competencies and simultaneously be aware of our deficiencies and work [...]

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Our rights vs our interests

A man will fight harder for his interests than for his rights. Napoleon Bonaparte As a citizen of a democratic nation each one of us has the right to exercise his/ her franchise and vote in the elections. How many of us have diligently used this right without giving any excuses and voted responsibly? Similarly [...]

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Nothing permanent

Nothing in this world is permanent. German proverb This is both a sobering thought and an alluring one for it encapsulates life itself.  History is witness to the rise and fall of not just the Roman empire but many a kingdom and dynasty and therein lies a tale of both grandiose successes and devastating defeats [...]

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Be aware of the truth

Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Oscar Wilde There is a natural tendency of most of us to form opinions about people and come to some conclusions. We are rudely shocked or pleasantly surprised when contrary to our assumptions there are exactly opposite views expressed by others about the same [...]

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Wisdom holds the key

No great things are done more through courage than through wisdom. German proverb A careful analysis of history would reveal that all major victories in war were due the exemplary courage of the soldiers and the tactical acumen of the generals who led their forces. Similarly a scan of all the progresses made in science [...]

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The risks of not taking a risk

And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more. Erica Jong We are all familiar with fence sitters who believe that they are very safe by not committing to anyone and thereby taking minimum risks of annoying anyone or being held responsible for any decisions.  On the face of it the [...]

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Common sense and genius

Common sense is instinct.  Enough of it is genius. George Bernard Shaw It is commonly understood that common sense is the most uncommon thing. This is because a large part of common sense is developed by observing and learning from the environment around and is therefore almost instinctive. However most of us see problems as [...]

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More than enough…

More than enough is too much. Anon Just check your wardrobe and see how many of those clothes have not ever been used in years and yet occupy a lot of space in your cupboard. Check out the unused things lying in the attic or the numerous odds and end that one has carefully hoarded [...]

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