Winning Words 6/24/10
“It’s not enough to have a good mind. The main thing is to use it well.” (Rene Descartes) When I read this, I thought of the slogan of the United Negro College Fund: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” It’s a similar thought. Descartes is probably best known for his saying, “Cogito ergo sum.” I’ll let you use your mind to figure out what it means in English, if you don’t already know. ;-) Jack

FROM JL IN MICHIGAN: This is famous Western philosophy in French, meaning "I think, therefore I am." Right?
FROM JACK: Hooray! You am thinking. MORE FROM JL: Actually, cogito ergo sum is Latin. Descartes was French. In French, it would be: Je pense donc je suis. FROM JACK: I'm impressed!

FROM PRJD IN MINNESOTA: I THINK THEREFORE I AM. I LIKE " THE SOLITUDE I GO THROUGH IS I." FROM JACK: I like, too.

FROM HAWKEYE GS: 2 good ones. Just got back from Boston - not to see the Sox or Celtics, but the POPS - great music. FROM JACK: Did you know that one of the stars of the Tri-City Blackhawks was POP GATES?

FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Great winning word. When I was younger giving talks about real estate investing often I would start out talking about the power of knowledge and add the only applied knowledge has power. Knowledge without action is moot. Have a great day FROM JACK: I remember seeing a cartoon showing two Indians looking at a large smoke signal. One says to the other, "Heap big smoke, but no fire." That's the way it is with some speakers (including pastors).

FROM PRJM IN MICHIGAN: Rene' Descartes walks into a bar and orders a stiff drink then sits sipping it for quite a while. After some time the bartender asks him, "Do you want another?" To which Descartes replies, "I think not" and disappears. FROM JACK: That "lightens up" the blog. Thanks

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: It looks like it might translate "Knowledge is all" ? My friend and I belong to U.of IL, Sprfld's Life Long Learning organization, which tries to keep our old minds sharp. And of course the old saying, "So Many Books, So Little Time!!" I'm reading an interesting little book, "100 things you didn't know about Abraham Lincoln". Amazing how even here in Lincoln country, there are still things you can learn about him after all these years! Our Abraham Lincoln Museum and Library are absolutely wonderful in
Spfld.! FROM JACK: That Lincoln book sounds interesting.

FROM LF IN SWITZERLAND: Incidently the quote that you sent previously from Descartes is Je pense, donc je suis. He probably wrote it in French but maybe in Latin. He surely did not write it in English. FROM JACK: How many languages do you speak?