“The Art of Worldly Wisdom is a book by Baltasar Gracián y Morales (a.k.a Baltasar Gracián). It is a collection of maxims. Oráculo manual y arte de prudencia was written in 1637, and became popular throughout Europe. The book is a collection of 300 paragraphs on various topics giving advice and guidance on how to live fully, advance socially, and be a better person.”

~ Wikipedia

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I never knew that old Macdonald could be so wise:

1. Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

2. Keep skunks and bankers at a Distance.

3. Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

4. A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

5. Words that soak into your ears are whispered…not yelled.

6. Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.

7. Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.

8. Do not corner something that you know is meaner’n you.

9. It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

10. You cannot unsay a cruel word.

11. Every path has a few puddles.

12. When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.

13. The best sermons are lived, not preached.

14. Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.

15. Don’t judge folks by their relatives.

16. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

17. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.

18. Don’t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t botherin you none.

19. Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

20. If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.

21. Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

22. The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from The mirror every mornin’.

23. Always drink upstream from the herd.

24. Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.

25. Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.

26. If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around.

27. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

28. Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he’s too old to fight, he’ll jus’ kill you…

~ Proverbs From A Farmer

Manly P. Hall, who I consider to have been one of the wisest men of the 20th century, has featured more than once on this blog – with good reason.

Not only was Hall a man with a tremendous amount of esoteric knowledge, but he also had the wisdom, insight and common sense to advise us all towards a greater path of living, as he voraciously demonstrated in his chosen career of communicating his enlightening knowledge to the masses,

“In his over 70-year career, Hall delivered approximately 8,000 lectures in the United States and abroad, authored over 150 books and essays, and wrote countless magazine articles.”

So here I present to you, from the man himself, ten basic rules of wisdom which should provide the foundations towards living a better life…hopefully.

A concise guide for spiritual living in the modern world:

1. Stop worrying.

2. Stop trying to dominate and possess your friends and relatives.

3. Moderate ambition.

4. Do not accumulate more than you need.

5. Learn to relax.

6. Cultivate a sense of humor.

7. Find a reason for your own existence.

8. Never intentionally harm any other person.

9. Beware of anger.

10. Never blame others for your own mistakes.

Benjamin Franklin was a man who tried to improve every facet of himself in terms of mind, body and moral behavior

We can do no wrong in trying to adopt the following self-improving virtues devised by Benjamin Franklin.

However, if I personally could successfully instigate half of these I’d have done well…maybe I should also add ‘PATIENCE’ to the list – just for myself mind.

1. TEMPERANCE – Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.

2. SILENCE – Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.

3. ORDER – Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.

4. RESOLUTION – Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.

5. FRUGALITY – Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.

6. INDUSTRY – Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.

7. SINCERITY – Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.

8. JUSTICE – Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.

9. MODERATION – Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.

10. CLEANLINESS – Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.

11.TRANQUILITY – Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.

12. CHASTITY – Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dulness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation.

13. HUMILITY – Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

~ From the Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin

Is this man actually mature despite looking like he should be put in a museum?

The following precepts of wisdom that I am about to share with you was devised by fellow Blogger ThoughtBubble of Rooms for the Soul blog.  These 10 Commandments for the 21st Century should, I feel, be adopted by everyone who wishes to mature in mind and live a fuller life:

“Signs of maturity:
1. A desire to explore a point rather than make or prove it
2. A tendency not to take things personally
3. A refusal to be judgmental
4. A willingness to admit “I don’t know”
5. An acceptance of people and things as they are rather than demand that they conform to one’s expectations, needs and beliefs
6. A realization that one’s happiness is entirely self and not other-determined
7. An ability to enjoy all the colors of the rainbow rather than be confined to the extreme positions of black and white, right and wrong
8. A readiness to honor every being as an equal and unique expression of the one, universal source
9. The ability and willingness to have as much fun as possible
10. The ability to live a life of gentle, humorous self-enquiry which often means self-acceptance, self-realization and self-liberation”

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