Ask Lemmy

“Be excellent to each other”.

Show some compassion, be a bro, care about other people. Maybe we can make society a bit better; one person, one act of kindness, at a time.

90% of life is showing up.

I use this every time I'm on the fence about going to an event or just curling up on the couch.

"The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man." — George Bernard Shaw

If you can't control it, don't worry about it.

Used to mostly keep me sane at work

Remember you will die. Not as a fear but simply as a reminder.

Paraphrased from Forrest Gump.

“Well, I’ve come this far. Might as well keep going.”

It’s great, because you just lie to yourself about the starting point of any task, and it doesn’t seem so bad.
If I’ve survived from birth until now, then I guess I can survive doing the dishes.

"Anything that isn't nothing"

Helps me push through when executive dysfunction hits. Getting outside for even just a little bit is a whole lot better than staying inside while telling myself I'm going to run 3 miles, for example

Nothin’, what’s a motto with you?

Before you criticize a man, you should walk a mile in his shoes. That way if he gets angry, you’re a mile away! And you’ve got his shoes!

Intelligence does not protect you from stupidity.

Always try to give people the benefit of the doubt. You never know what someone else is going through.

Be morally better than average. If you justify being bad by saying everyone else is doing it, you're not helping the downward spiral. Because bad people and people with no choice make things worse on average.

“This night would be better spent preparing for the next life instead of rehashing the mistakes of this one.”

Lt. Commander Worf.

Try to live a happy life imposing as little as possible on others.

Brings to mind the bene gesserit litany against fear:

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

I often pair with:

It is by will alone I set my mind in motion. It is by the juice of Sapho that thoughts acquire speed, the lips acquire stains, stains become a warning. It is by will alone I set my mind in motion.

Which is a nice allegory for most any chemical stimulant (coffee).

Everything is true, nothing is permitted.

Nothing is true, everything is permitted.

Be the change you want to see in the world

To me that means to live in a way that if everyone else did too, the world would be a better place. It obviously doesn't gurantee that my moral compas always points to the right direction but it's the only indication I've got about what's right and what's wrong. This also means that I don't go out of my way doing some major charity work but just that I do my part no matter how insignificant it might feel because I believe that if everyone else did that too it would bring about a real change.

Try not to become a man of success, but a man of value.

Albert Einstein

Blind faith runs into things.

life has no meaning, so find one.

i'm an absurdist :]

Customer support: trust but verify.

I believe they have a problem. I believe they think they restarted, but I'm gonna check anyway.

In disagreements: "does it matter?"

Most shit we get angry about isn't important. In the grand scheme of life, most shit just doesn't matter.

"Don't say things about someone behind their back, if you wouldn't be prepared to say it to their face"

"In doubt, reboot"

People should really learn this one

Every machine is a smoke machine if you operate it wrong enough.

And my favorite: If you're good at something, never do it for free.

Life's too short to spend it angry

Keep it simple, stupid.

Me and my wife’s motto: Vi klarer alt, translated as We can do/endure everything. Usually accompanied by us clinking our wedding rings.

"Everything will be okay in the end.
If it's not okay, it's not the end."

My father always said: "It's better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick."

The world is unfair in that way and we should remember that.

Wherever you go, there you are.

Well, before doing something stupid my motto is, "Oh, what the hell."

But what I actually strive for is, "Everbody's suffering, so give them a little grace and maybe a smile."

Try to be nice, never fail to be kind. It's important to support the people around you. Those people can be your safety net and metaphorical ladder to climb

Everything is temporary

Science isn't an answer, it's a process.

good enough is good enough

Mind your own buisness.

I don't care about other peoples sexuality, gender fetishes, whatever. Its not my buisness and I have no right to judge them for their decision. You do you. As long as people aren't assholes or annoying as hell I don't care.

"There are idiots/assholes everywhere", no direct translation for the word I want in English.

I don't mean it in a mean way, just that idiots/assholes can be from any group of people. Two examples:

Don't assume a doctor knows everything just because they're a doctor. Some doctors are idiots/assholes, they might be wrong. Get a second opinion if something they said sound iffy.

When hearing people generalize from one individual's behavior (like racism): this one is an idiot/asshole, they are everywhere, including in this group and all other groups too.

Batman in an interrogation room pins joker to the wall.

Batman: “I’ve only got one rule”

Joker: “Then that’s the rule you’re gonna have to break to get what you want”.

Now I hate Marvell and all super hero movies but I do find that quote applies to a lot of things.

If you’re truthful or law abiding then law breakers have an advantage on you. They’ll try and undermine free and fair elections.

If you’re a pacifist then people will use violence to try and control you, such as terrorism, or simply ignore your laws.

If you have socialism then people will pour in from other countries or try to exploit the system in whatever they can.

If the police or strict or lax in either direction it causes upset.

Whatever you say is a law, or a line you won’t cross, is something that people will exploit.

I discovered this one just yesterday, reading a Nero Wolfe detective novel. I kind of like it:

The avoidance of idiocy should be the primary and constant concern of every intelligent person. It is mine. I am sometimes successful.

I rotate through these for everything from physical training to career goals to reminding myself to do my best to not be a douchebag:

“If I give up now, I’m going to regret it.” -Monkey D. Luffy

"Where's the future? Right here. Whose life is this? Mine. What are you gonna do with it? Live it by any means necessary." -Jefferson Pierce

"If you wanna stop this, then stand up! Because I've got one thing to say to you! Never forget who you want to become!" -Shoto Todoroki

"Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one." -Marcus Aurelius

"Giving help that's not asked for is what makes a true hero." -Izuku Midoriya

“I’ve set myself to become the King of the Pirates… and if I die trying… then at least I tried.” -Monkey D. Luffy

"If every porkchop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs." -Steven Universe

"Different strokes for different folks."

It's a reminder that your preferences aren't the only acceptable way to feel. It's OK if some people like things you don't. On different scales, it's a lesson in tolerance.

It goes hand-in-hand with "Be excellent to each other." Kindness goes far!

Together I hope someday they lead to "Harmony and understanding, sympathy and trust abounding."

Never break more than one law at a time.