The Strength of Nine Words

This Stephen Benét quote struck a cord with me and I wish it would reverberate around the world to governments, politicians, leaders, teachers, legal and law enforcers, armed forces, researchers in medicine and electronics, mass media, writers, local companies, every citizen, parents and caregivers. Just because we can wield great power, building and destroying in equal measure, from bombing cities to decimating rainforests, I believe we should stop and cultivate the wisdom of Consequence. Bigger, stronger is rarely better. Be wise enough to know it can be done but is it necessary for a healthy future? Wisdom to think, assess, and speak clearly. Wisdom to be unafraid to give your opinion, which unfortunately is denied in many countries. Less power, more universal wisdom to make things better not worse. GBW.

❤ Gretchen Bernet-Ward 2024

Knowledge and Wisdom

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, in full Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson of Aldworth and Freshwater (born 6 August, 1809, Somersby, Lincolnshire, England — died 6 October, 1892, Aldworth, Surrey) an English poet often regarded as the chief representative of the Victorian age in poetry. He was raised to the peerage in 1884.

Source https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Lord-Tennyson

‘Strength without wisdom’ counsels Milton

gears and cogs 14 — What is strength without a double share of wisdom? Strength’s not made to rule, but to subserve, where wisdom bears command.

John Milton (December 1608 – November 1674) was an English poet of the late Renaissance period. He is particularly noted for his epic poem on the fall of Satan and Adam and Eve’s ejection from the Garden of Eden ‘Paradise Lost’ which he composed in blank verse after going blind.

Allow yourself plenty of time to read this legendary poem!

‘Poem of the Week: Paradise Lost by John Milton’ a unique viewpoint from Carol Rumens of The Guardian who says ‘The muscular blank verse of this great classic reveals a visionary amalgam of the biblical and the classical.’
https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2019/jan/07/poem-of-the-week-from-paradise-lost-by-john-milton

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

Public Dangers

IMG_20180630_160606 — Alfred North Whitehead (1861–1947) was a British mathematician, logician and philosopher best known for his work in mathematical logic and the philosophy of science.

To quote Mr Whitehead in full "...For this reason, dictionaries are public dangers, although they are necessities” ― Alfred North Whitehead.

A witty comment or would he have thought the same of IT in the 21st century e.g. Wikipedia and social media?

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

Coffee Shop Wisdom

Platitudes, rather hippy dippy and old hat, short sugar-coated sentences designed to bolster the ‘feels’ of a younger generation. Look again. Each line creates an emotion, a memory jog, that tingle of happiness to the down-surge of sadness. Regret is there, the wince for things done wrong, then the smile for laughing out loud when you get it right. Basic universal rules for living.

♥ Gretchen Bernet-Ward

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Anatole France…

…the famous French poet, journalist and novelist said “If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.” I guess social media has compounded that figure.

Anatole certainly looks worried about the situation…