One Thought

I am, by no means, a wise person. Just ocassionally observant.

While recently enjoying other Substack posts, I observed this one little quote, bravely standing all alone.

“There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.”

—Ernest Hemingway—

Below the quote was a stream of reader comments, many of them negative rebuttals bemoaning the fact that the statement’s author had died at his own hand. So, does that very sad fact instantly nullify anything the quotation’s source might have said or done during his lifetime? Ironic how a personal opinion about controlling feelings of superiority can unleash a barrage of fodder expressing feelings of superiority.

The more things change?

Here’s one more from an audio book I’m listening to this week.

“One is too small a number to achieve greatness.”

—John C. Maxwell—

When those words rang through my earbuds, I experienced a bit of a knee-jerk reaction. For much of my life I’ve been a solo creative writer. A control thing? A pride thing? Fair questions.

I do know that the so-called “solo” works of mine that seem to have gained the most traction did so because of others who liked them, shared them, got behind them, and in many cases helped change them for the better.

Not that there’s anything wrong with a nice, quiet, secluded island. But sometimes an archipelago can offer even greater possibilities. I’m still trying to learn.

Imagine and inspire!

Ciao!