Maxims for life

[Philski]

Don't like rules and the pressure to conform to life's 'norms', but I do love a good maxim. My dear old grandfather instilled in me the saying, 'Quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten'. It has often had a very detrimental effect on my bank balance! But I have (expensive) shoes that are over twenty years old and still going strong - they have been cared for, but still, they now look like a bargain, and more so every year that goes by. Same goes for my trusty ten year-old Cartier lighter which works as well as when new and will go on for decades.

The other one is a sentiment that takes several forms, but my favourite appears in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels: 'Assumption is the mother of all f*** ups.' So, so true, and one that is usually at the forefront of mind in many situations.

Does anyone else have other pearls of wisdom to share?!

[...]

Patience is the mother of all virtues

If you succeed in being patient, life is just easier to manage...

[wookiemofo]

Funny, I thought this thread was gong to be about getting a subscription to Maxim for life

[Grahamsant]

One that came up today in work...

'It's better to have one volunteer than ten pressed men'

It's not one necessarily for daily livi g but its one you can live by if your in a position to delegate. You know who you'd rather get to do work for you...If they volunteer they're more likely to do a better job!

[beparrish]

My dad used to tell me that "You may not have much, but take care of what you've got".

[wookiemofo]

"It is what it is" is a big one we live by

[Philski]

Just remembered another one this evening - 'Actions speak louder than words.' Especially useful when clients try to negotiate a deal by promising future business (I'm now practically immune to this tactic!).

[Philprop]

An old hand at work once told me this and I have repeated it more often now than I can remember.

"Work smarter, not harder".

I try to look at everything I do in life using this philosophy.

[GernBlansten]

When we bought our first house we were given this advice on up keep: "There is the right way and there is the fast way, alway do things the right way."

Not sure if its a life maxim or just one for a solid Saturday, "You can't drink all day unless you start in the morning!"

[polarbear]

I've liked "Its easier to ask forgiveness than permission"

My personal one is "Why worry about things you have no control over"

[Colt45]

too much of a good thing........ is still a good thing.

[Philski]

My personal one is "Why worry about things you have no control over"

Good one - also, 'You can't get stressed about what you don't care about'. Not always constructive, but can help to give perspective sometimes.

[Philski]

I've liked "Its easier to ask forgiveness than permission"

Uh - is that the right way around?

[polarbear]

Uh - is that the right way around?

yep

Think about it...

You wanna go to the pub, but you know your wife wont let you go

do you

A: ask if you can go and have her say no

or

B: dont ask her, go to the pub and then say you're sorry after you get home

[saintsmokealot]

2 of my favorites which are used in everyday life:

If it aint broke don't fix it.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

[saintsmokealot]

A different topic made me remember another!

Tough times never last but tough people do.

[NastyPirate]

My dear departed father gave me a few:

1. Quality trumps everything: buy as smart as you can

2. There is no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane

3. It doesn't matter what you earn. Everyone spends the same percentage of income on basic needs, so don't judge others.

4. Be willing to put your name on anything that you do

5. Put everyone in your family first, and your need for love and respect will be met

[LLC]

I've liked "Its easier to ask forgiveness than permission"

My personal one is "Why worry about things you have no control over"

Those are two of my favorites.

I also like:

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[kwsaw63]

2 of my favorites which are used in everyday life:

If it aint broke don't fix it.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

+1

I also like:

Don't get mad, get even

[shlomo]

2 of my favorites which are used in everyday life:

If it aint broke don't fix it.

You catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

If it aint broke, nothing wrong with trying to improve it.

And you catch more flies with manure than either honey or vinegar. So where does that leave us?

[shlomo]

My dear departed father gave me a few:

1. Quality trumps everything: buy as smart as you can

2. There is no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane

3. It doesn't matter what you earn. Everyone spends the same percentage of income on basic needs, so don't judge others.

4. Be willing to put your name on anything that you do

5. Put everyone in your family first, and your need for love and respect will be met

...especially on a relatively anonymous online forum right Mr. Pirate?

[dicko]

Whenever you write something, imagine as if it was to be annexed to an affidavit and a Judge would read it.

Especially in the age of the internet and text messages, I live by this.

[LordAnubis]

Got a whole list, some i found from others/quotes/books etc and some i made myself

- A good man helps others when he can. A great man helps others even when he can't

- We can't change the world by ourselves, but we can help improve each other and together the world will change

- Communication is a two way street, don't ask wh they have not spoken to you, but ask yourself why you have not spoken to them

- When with company never respond to text messages.

- The biggest mistake is to be indecisive. Make a clear decision and if it's wrong, learn from it.

[Fuzz]

You snooze, you lose.

And of course, from my dear ol' mum on my first day of kindergarten, "If somebody hits you, hit them back, twice as hard and twice as many times!"

[Bandyt09]

All you can do is all you can do.

If you can't change the people around you, change the people around you.