I like this quote from former Israel prime minister, Golda Meir:
Don’t be so humble; you’re not that great!
Nice way to pop someone’s oversized bubble of an ego and tell them to put a cork in it.
Or as my dad used to say:
He’s not a big shot; he’s a big sh*t!
Anyway, she had a sharp mind (like my dad) and was an amazing leader that Golda. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
While sometimes children behave like “know-it-alls”…
Often an attempt to showcase what they’ve learned or to build their self-confidence. Sometimes, it’s also to bully others.
More unusual though is to find an adult that thinks and actually says they know it all.
But sure enough, I ran into someone who told me (about technology):
“I know everything!”
And they said it with a straight face.
Literally, they told me how they came up through the ranks and knew EVERYTHING with emphasis!
Moreover, they told me that if I didn’t know something, I should go ahead and ask them because they would most definitely know it.
So I respect all people and certainly admire those who are knowledgable and talented in their fields.
But something felt very wrong about an adult who feels that they have to go around bragging about the depth of their knowledge–and that their knowledge is apparently infinite (at least that’s what they espoused).
I wondered to myself–is the person arrogant and a big mouth or the opposite–lacking in self confidence and therefore needing to boast and show off to compensate for their inadequacies?
When they were talking, it seemed like their head was getting so big and full of themself that it would just explode!
Most adults with emotional intelligence realize how little they know, and the older they get the more they realize that they don’t know in life.
Especially, people of faith recognize that G-d is all-knowing and all-powerful, and we are but mere “flesh and blood” and truly just a speck of dust in the universe.
So truly smart people are humble and they look to learn from others, rather than preach and teach in a monologue of hubris.
Like many people that get too big for the britches, G-d usually brings them back down to Earth and their head to size. 😉
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Really impressed today going back to work after the 5-week Federal government shutdown…
And who is at the front gate, in the dark and freezing cold welcoming every single person back?
The director of the agency!
And not only that, but he is handing out morning donuts to the crew.
This was a truly spectacular display of leadership.
I’ve seen this only one other time in my 30-year career and that was at the Secret Service, where the director stood behind the dessert table at the agency holiday party serving out the ice cream.
Humility and giving are what true leadership is all about.
I am proud to serve under such leaders as these. 😉
(Source Photo–not from today–by Andy Blumenthal)
My thoughts on Carlos Ghosn–the head of Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Renault.
What can we learn from his rise to power and his fall from grace?
Basically…be a real leader and not a schmuck!
Be modest. Be humble. Give to others. Do Good! 😉
So I took this photo in a Jewelry store in Mamilla Mall in Jerusalem.
All these beautiful hamsas!
Hamsas are traditional symbols of G-d’s protection and to ward off the evil.
These were some very beautiful ones.
Some say that it is symbolic of the hand of Miriam, Moses’ sister, raised in a protective stance over the people.
Five fingers are like the five books of the Torah and a reminder to use all five of our senses in worshipping and praising G-d.
Talking to someone yesterday about surviving in the face of some very difficult challenges, she said to me:
“Remember, just because the adversary is powerful, you are the David to the Goliath!”
With G-d’s help and blessings, even a little David can slay the giant evil Goliath.
For the New Year of 2018 and forward, G-d should bless us and protect us, shine his face upon us and be gracious unto us, lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace!
The L-rd is the ultimate strength and justice and in front of Him no evil will stand.
Our faith may be tested, but from it, we will come out smarter, stronger, and better souls, as G-d teaches us to look always to the Heavens where all good emanates. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So I always try to see the best in people.
But sometimes it is hard when they are so intent on tooting their own horns.
Bragging, boasting, patting themselves on the back about how smart they are or a job so incredibly well done.
Oh, you’ve got to ask yourself…
Is it all really true?
OR
Do we have perhaps some slight exaggeration going on with a dose of self-aggrandizement, a spoonful of self-promotion, and more than a pinch of big ego?
Perhaps, also the person is in denial as to what their own capabilities–and limitations–really are.
For example, many artists are enthralled with their work and themselves.
“Isn’t this so good?”
“Can you believe I made this?
“Wow, this is impressive, right?”
Sure, there are plenty of talented people out there doing good and even amazing work.
But even then tempering your achievements with a little modesty and balance, like “I do this well, but I need to grow more in that area”–goes a long way to making the admirable talents and achievements more honest, humble, and believable.
Always, people are good at some things, and worse at others.
We all have things to work on and improve, and nobody is so perfect in this world!
We can try to come close–that’s our job to strive for it–but true perfection belongs to G-d alone. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
So as we are about to enter Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year…
I want to share a very important lesson that I came across again this year.
The lesson is:
No matter how big a fish you think you are, there is ALWAYS a bigger fish out there.
You may have position, title, money, status, and all the trimmings, but someone with more of this and that and the other thing (and overall power) can come along at any time–at G-d’s decree–and swallow you right up.
I connect this to the 2nd day of Rosh Hashanah when it is customary to go and cast bread (symbolic for our sins) into a natural body of water, so the fish can eat them up–and in a spiritual sense we throw away our sins and cleanse ourselves of our wrongdoings over the last year–let the fish have them.
And like the fish eating our sins, I think another more powerful person can come and swallow us up and even spit us out (like Jonah and the Whale)–we are all fallible and mortal.
We are made from dust and we go to dust, and my dad would joke to clean up the mounds of dust under my bed!
As we enter the New Year, may Hashem have mercy on us and bless us, and may we have peace, health, and prosperity, and may we be written in the Book of Life.
Oh yeah, and may no fish big or small come against us to cause us distress or harm–G-d is the Almighty Protector–Amen! 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Some thoughts today on what is wisdom:
– Knowing you know nothing–and you can prove it (ah, humility)!
– Knowing when to ask–like the infamous directions when you’re lost or how to use the latest new technology.
– Learning from all others (everyone has something they can teach us).
– Wisdom = Knowledge + Experience (you’ve gotten an inkling about some truth out there, and you’ve had a chance to test it out).
– Seeing that people’s outer bodies are just the superficial, material cover for their inner souls.
– Realizing that doing for others is so much more rewarding than doing for ourselves.
– Following the great truths of morality and responsibility.
– Keen awareness that we are not alone in the universe–G-d is everywhere.
(Source Graphic: Andy Blumenthal)
Check out this guy’s shirt:
“Those who think they know EVERYthing
annoy those of us who do.”
What would make this grown man put this handwritten sign on his shirt like this?
It’s funny some people really do think they know everything.
And they are the hardest and most annoying people to listen to, because their pompous arrogance blinds them to what others think, feel, and have to say.
The only way to really know many different things is to learn from others and then incorporate that into your brain matter.
Progress (societal and self), including thinking, is incremental–that’s why education is so important!
No one (except G-d, of course) knows everything, but everyone knows something.
So we can learn from everyone!
Don’t fear other’s people knowledge, skills, and abilities–we are a community and we really only work well when we function together.
It’s like on most of the survival shows I’ve seen–one or two people (even those highly trained) fail miserably at long- (or short-) term surviving, because “it takes a village!”
Overall, I like my father’s humble version on life much better:
“I know nothing and I can prove it.” 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
Is silence a good thing or a bad thing–what does it really mean?
On the plus or neutral side:
Silence can mean modesty and humility–you withhold speaking out of turn or having a big mouth; you recognize that you don’t know everything and what you do know is not intended to put down or shame others.
Silence can means secrets and privacy–you don’t say everything; you treat information properly based on need to know and propriety of sharing.
Silence can mean good situational judgement–that you know prudently when to let others have their say, or when your opinion isn’t really welcome, or when it’s best to just stay below the radar.
Silence can mean you simply don’t know–and it’s something you need to listen and learn more about rather than speak; it’s why we’re told that we have two ears and one mouth.
Silence can mean that maybe you don’t care about something–why get fired up or “waste your breath” on it when it’s just not your thing.
When can it be a negative:
There was a sign in the local school window that silence means (wrongful) acceptance; that is also something I learned in in the Talmud in yeshiva; if you see something wrong and don’t say or do something, you are (partially) responsible.
Silence can mean fear–perhaps you don’t accept something, but you’re afraid to speak truth or morality to power; you sit silently cowering, when you should stand up tall and speak out.
Silence may also mean shame–you’ve done something wrong or don’t want others to know something that could make you look bad or put you in jeopardy.
Silence can mean you are hiding something–it can be that you don’t trust or aren’t trustful; silence at a time when you need to answer or respond can result in suspicion about why you are “holding back,” instead of being forthcoming and truthful.
When to talk and when to remain silent?
Certainly, “you have the right to remain silent.”
We need to use words with care and intent–to always seek to help and not to hurt.
Words are so potent–the mouth is perhaps the strongest part of the human body, just like the pen is mightier than the sword.
That’s why I pray that G-d put the “right words” in my mouth–to be constructive, positive, effective and impactful–to do good as much as possible with words and with silence. 😉
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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