Anxious Mom has nominated me for the 3 Day Quote Challenge. I am supposed to find quotes (hence the name of the challenge) and post one a day. Since Zoe who nominated Anxious Mom who in turn nominated me, have both decided to post all three quotes on one day, I think I will follow suit. I suppose the next question would be, “If Anxious Mom decided to fling herself off a bridge – would you do that too?” I would answer – “Of course. What a silly question!”
“Improve yourself by other men’s writings thus attaining effortlessly what they acquired through great difficulty.” – Socrates
I really like this one from Socrates – always think of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure when I see Socrates – because they say So-Crates. It is a brilliant quote. One can learn so much from reading and it should be a part of all our daily routines (and not just the People Magazine at the grocery check-out).
“I think I’ll move to Australia.” — Judith Viorst, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day 
I love Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day – it is one of my favorite children’s books. Being from Australia, and having moved to America when I was a child, I have a fondness in my heart for Australia and threaten to move back at least once a week.
“And so I think, there is millions of people, especially Moms and their kids that are beaten down like me and my Mom. They probably have great energies, but it’s being mushed down by the bad people, with the bad auras around them. They probably just don’t have enough of their own energies to see a way out of a really bad problem. They just can’t get away. Their auras just can’t breathe and work the way they’re supposed to work.”
–S.D. Gates, From Cornflakes to Eternity by S.D. Gates
I know this probably isn’t proper etiquette to use one of my own quotes, but what the heck. It’s my blog, it’s my challenge response and so I guess I can do whatever I want. It’s one of my favorite quotes by Allie, a six year old girl that has found herself in the midst of a ghostly adventure.
My Challenge Nominees are:
Four camels and a coffee to go
If these brilliant bloggers choose to accept the challenge, that is wonderful (but I completely understand if they don’t and I won’t even threaten them with mobsters or monsters).
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Categories: 3 Day Quote Challenge
I don’t think that it’s a refutation of Socrates’ quote but this quote by Einstein should also be considered.
“Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.”
Oh that is a good one. But if you happen on a really good book, and are taken to a place where you have never been, and thoughts are stimulated in your mind that have never been thought before – how is that not a good use of your time? I wonder what age Einstein was referring to?
He explained this quote in more detail on one of his essays. Einstein didn’t say that we all stop reading. What he meant was that at a certain point, we have to apply the knowledge that we have acquired to worthwhile things and rely on our own creativity to come up with new things instead of just relying on bboks. So, the “age” is actually just a metaphor.
We can also compare this to the research process in which at first, you need to read a lot of books to write your introduction, literature review and methodology. However, it’s up to you to apply the knowledge that you have learned from reading in order to critically analyze and interpret your data and finally add new knowledge to the literature.
That makes sense. I have don that myself – when researching for a paper – I research until I have the groundwork and then build from that. Oh, to be that smart and wise (Einstein, Socrates, and my friend abyssbrain) must be an amazing thing.
I love the Cornflakes to eternity quote. I recently tagged you in a writing contest too, sorry about the rules of that one though (i didn’t make up the rules).
I love that quote too!! I wanted to find the one about how the kids sit around thinking back on their lives, pondering “what ifs” (what if Allie hadn’t gone looking for that bowl of cereal, what if Jose hadn’t bugged his dad about the shiny red car, or Vicky hadn’t pushed for the sleep-over) and perhaps that was what life was about, was just a bunch of “what-ifs” – but I couldn’t find it.
I didn’t know you tagged me for a writing contest – how did I miss that? Can you send it to me again please?
Ah I guess you didn’t notice as I didn’t pinback I only linked your landing page… Here you go https://solveigwerner.wordpress.com/2015/06/17/allergic-to-letter-e-challenge/
There are always a lot of what ifs in our lives I guess 🙂
Thanks so much for the nomination however, I completed it last week so I will pass this time around. I love your quotes… didn’t know you were from Australia originally. Allie’s quote from your book sounds intriguing. And yes… reading is always and should be a priority. However, why do those silly mags at the checkout counter always catch my eye? I wish they had novels there instead.
I always wonder about the collection of things they have at the check-out counter. For me, a novel would be appropriate, because I invariably get stuck behind the person that needs a price-check on some random item, and has to write a check with an unsteady hand. And what’s with the laser pointers? I have gotten into more arguments with my kids about why they DON’T need a laser pointer, while standing at the check-out counter.
PS. I went to your blog to check if you had been nominated, guess I didn’t check far enough back. Sorry about that!!!!
No worries. My quote stuff wasn’t too obvious as I didn’t have it as part of my titles for my posts. Yes… boys would very much want laser pointers!
I caved one time and they had poor Mikey (the Great Dane) chasing after the little red light for hours. Luckily there isn’t much quality control in the manufacturing of those items and they fell apart before the night was over. Mikey is still wondering where the little red light went to but luckily has gone back to watching the pool sweep go back and forth.
Oh my gosh the kids love doing that. My daughter did something similar with our cat with a flashlight. Hours of endless fun for the child and probably torment for the pet!
But the kids love it, and the pets get a kick out of it!!!! I am sure cats and a laser pointer would be quite entertaining.
Rather hilarious so hard to get down on my daughter as I was too busy laughing!
I for one love you even more for quoting the character from your own book to clinch the challenge, SD. Great one. 🙂
Oh good!!! I was kind of fretting about whether I should do it or not!
The kids in ‘The Breakfast Club’ wouldn’t have given it a second thought, S.D. 🙂 Or, think of the lyrics of this oldie, “It’s my party, and I’ll cry if I want to!”
I love that movie – “The Breakfast Club” – brilliant. Also love the cry if I want to song, have used that multiple times when people tell me not to fret or complain. Thanks for reminding me about that – have a meeting with the super boss today, I may just break out into song – if said meeting does not go well!!!!
Yes, I pilfered my TBC mention from reading your about page, I confess, my friend. 🙂 The song I came up with myself. Good luck with the super boss today. My fingers are crossed for you.
Thanks. Hopefully it’s nothing awful. I love my blogging friends. It’s so weird how I feel so much support from people I have never really met. Have a wonderful day!!!!!!!
You quoted your own work – most decidedly awesome. Also I like the idea of auras. I have not yet gotten the book. I promise I will because this quote makes me want it even more.
Thanks for the support!!!!! That part is in the book because I have always wondered why people can’t get themselves out of horrible situations when they have the wherewithal. I researched auras, and bad auras can meld into others and completely suck any energy out a person they may have had. I find that fascinating. I have been around people that are so angry and depressed, I just feel I am deflating being near them. If you do get the book I hope you enjoy it!!!! It’s a bit sad in places but it ends in a happy place.
I have learned to avoid certain people because I can feel the negative energy. I am glad it ends in a happy place. My friends in book club always laugh because if a book does not end in a happy place I rewrite it in my mind.
I am the same way, I make things end happily in my own mind. Can’t stand it when a movie or a book leaves you in a dark, incomplete place. Like I told one of my other blogging friends – People tell me to get my head out of the clouds, and I say “Why? I like it up here!”
Enjoyed your quotes! Now why couldn’t I be from Australia so I could threaten to move back once a day? 😊😊
For me, it is sometimes hourly. Thanks for signing me up for the challenge – it was great fun!!!!!!