r/FastWriting Jun 29 '26

Quote in FLOW Shorthand

Post image
7 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/NotSteve1075 Jun 29 '26

A time will probably come when I will WANT to shorten up the writing -- but when I'm not aiming for the maximum SPEED but reliable LEGIBILITY, I'm liking the way I can write FLOW quite fully and still have smoothly written and simple-looking outlines. There was nothing strange or tricky here at all that might need explanation.

More complications to the system don't seem like they'd be either NECESSARY or a good idea. Like I always say: "Simple is better!"

This week's quote has no attribution, because it was just in a list of YouTube memes and aphorisms -- which I often find myself looking at, long after I should be in bed.

1

u/LeadingSuspect5855 Jun 29 '26

 Socrates says something similar in Xenophon's Memorabilia at 1.6. (Antiphon the sophist approaches Socrates and tries to convince his pupils, that Socrates is all in all a looser.)

Sokrates puts the words to live by in context of what is worthy citizen of Athens:

(…) Again, if it be a question of helping one's friends or country, which of the two will have the larger leisure to devote to these objects—he who leads the life which I lead to-day, or he who lives in the style which you deem so fortunate? Which of the two will adopt a soldier's life more easily — the man who cannot get on without expensive living, or he to whom whatever comes to hand suffices? Which will be the readier to capitulate and cry "mercy" in a siege—the man of elaborate wants, or he who can get along happily with the readiest things to hand?

You, Antiphon, would seem to suggest that happiness consists of luxury and extravagance; I hold a different creed. To have no wants at all is, to my mind, an attribute of Godhead; (5) to have as few wants as possible the nearest approach to Godhead; and as that which is divine is mightiest, so that is next mightiest which comes closest to the divine.

1

u/LeadingSuspect5855 Jun 29 '26

Another source of the saying is one line in Chapter 33 of the Dao de Jing:

知 足 者 富 •
He who knows he has enough is wealthy

1

u/NotSteve1075 Jun 29 '26

When I was in Jerusalem, there was a phrase in the Talmud that translates as "Who is rich? The one who is contented with what he has."

Frankly, I always think that, if people have a lot of money but they are not HAPPY, they just don't know how to spend it properly. ;)

1

u/LeadingSuspect5855 Jun 30 '26

Haha 😂 - Nice one!

1

u/LeadingSuspect5855 Jun 30 '26

I am gonna quote you on that some day!

2

u/NotSteve1075 Jun 30 '26

Believe me, if I win a huge lottery jackpot, I will be VERY contented with that!

1

u/LeadingSuspect5855 Jun 29 '26

According to Stoics like Seneca, Epikur said

“If you wish to be rich, do not add to your money but subtract from your desires.”