Comments on: A good deed a day keeps the devil away http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/ "Hitch your wagon to a star." —Ralph Waldo Emerson Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:40:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Ben http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-61624 Ben Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:50:32 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-61624 I don't know that experimenting at random is as dangerous as you think. :) After all, a lot of times random tinkering around can lead to creative breakthroughs that you never would have come across otherwise... I don’t know that experimenting at random is as dangerous as you think. :) After all, a lot of times random tinkering around can lead to creative breakthroughs that you never would have come across otherwise…

]]> By: holyjoe http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-61568 holyjoe Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:24:22 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-61568 Agree fully. On occasion, you might want to see for yourself how skilled you actually are at taking recognition for good deeds in the right way - that is, without it going to your head. But experiment strictly on occasions where the outcome cannot produce significant problems this way or that. On occasion, keep extreme comforts away and adopt a utilitarian lifestyle to see how other less-privileged people face problems of myriad types and also how much you are personally dependent on certain comforts. If you are a normal chap like me, you'll find that roughly every other time you indulge, you come out a loser. But beware of overdoing this - don't get into a dangerous self-correction cycle. Only minor, reasonable austerities lead to independence from comforts. Burdening yourself with too much austerity is as bad as its exact opposite, which is, excessive and mindless indulgence. So, play around with these things is inconsequential places in life. Remember, experimenting at random will produce results at random that is, it is _very_ _dangerous_. Do good or do nothing. Agree fully.
On occasion, you might want to see for yourself how skilled you actually are at taking recognition for good deeds in the right way - that is, without it going to your head.
But experiment strictly on occasions where the outcome cannot produce significant problems this way or that.

On occasion, keep extreme comforts away and adopt a utilitarian lifestyle to see how other less-privileged people face problems of myriad types and also how much you are personally dependent on certain comforts.
If you are a normal chap like me, you’ll find that roughly every other time you indulge, you come out a loser. But beware of overdoing this - don’t get into a dangerous self-correction cycle.
Only minor, reasonable austerities lead to independence from comforts. Burdening yourself with too much austerity is as bad as its exact opposite, which is, excessive and mindless indulgence.

So, play around with these things is inconsequential places in life.

Remember, experimenting at random will produce results at random that is, it is _very_ _dangerous_. Do good or do nothing.

]]> By: Rikker http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-723 Rikker Wed, 10 May 2006 15:40:46 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-723 It's like the Thais say, ปิดทองหลังพระ -- to apply gold leaf to the back side of a Buddha image. That is, to do good deeds without being seen. It’s like the Thais say, ปิดทองหลังพระ — to apply gold leaf to the back side of a Buddha image. That is, to do good deeds without being seen.

]]> By: Liz http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-719 Liz Wed, 10 May 2006 04:46:47 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-719 Queen Esther, huh? Maybe I'm just ignorant, but that sounds like a cool portmanteau word of Ester and Ether. Awesome! :D Queen Esther, huh? Maybe I’m just ignorant, but that sounds like a cool portmanteau word of Ester and Ether. Awesome! :D

]]> By: rachella http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-718 rachella Wed, 10 May 2006 00:31:26 +0000 http://www.topofthemountains.net/2006/05/09/a-good-deed-a-day-keeps-the-devil-away/#comment-718 I agree that anonymous is grand, especially for the giver and I ought to try it more often, but sometimes knowing that it was *that* person becomes more meaningful than the act itself. I agree that anonymous is grand, especially for the giver and I ought to try it more often, but sometimes knowing that it was *that* person becomes more meaningful than the act itself.

]]>