It seems like another serial weekly post slides to monthly in this edition of #thoughtfuldailypost. @Wesphilbin waves the

Hive account@thoughtfulposts flag for us as the curation account that rewards them thoughtful posts. Please consider delegating if you are the thoughtful type and want to encourage people to share their positivity.

Thus, we have a couple quotes from a couple philosophers from centuries ago that made me pause, ponder, and discuss for #thoughtfuldailypost. Paired with thoughtfully-curated music to match the sentiment!

Today, we balance truth/offence and wise/foolish.

Offend

I thought Thomas Paine would be younger than 286 years old if he were still alive but apparently this American Founding Father had it right back in the 1700s.

There seems to be as much offence taken from the truth these days as there are ways to deny it. So, if we went back to the good old days where the truth was not so subjective as it seems to be today, some realities are harsh. This one reminds me of "Nice guys finish last" which is a quote that has pissed me off for decades.

I have been described by one of my little ones as "having the skill of telling someone they might need to hear whether or not they are prepared to hear it." If I drop conversation that I believe is a truth or worth consideration, it is probably because I care about the person enough to share my perspective in case it can help or I am playing devil's advocate in order to become involved in the solution to an issue. Either that or it is a test of someone to discover whether it is worthwhile to try.

All who offend are not necessarily being honest but let us risk offence while speaking our truths.

The only song I can think of that matches this one is the buttery vocals and smooth piano writing of the immortal Billy Joel.

The Wise and the Foolish

If the first part of your name is literally "Epic" then you have my attention. Turns out Epictetus is another 1100 years or so older than the last guy and it blows my mind to think of how wise one would be to be quoted a century after being gone.

Kids these days, or any days for that matter, don't seem to get the first part. I don't blame young people for being fools because I was one then too of a considerable degree. That and the brain really doesn't finish developing until the mid 20s but lets stay on track!

It may be because of my dungeons & dragons nerdy background but I believe in the different between intelligence and wisdom. Even fools can become wise by surviving long enough to learn lessons and develop wisdom. Some very intelligent people outsmart themselves, fail to learn from their mistakes and never become wise. Sidetracked again!

How great is the advice to avoid quarreling with the wise and ignore the fools? It may seem inevitable to avoid either but probably worth putting into practice.

How about THE quintessential classic rock pioneers with a little Fool in the Rain?

I hope we can progress through suffering to a success that brings purity of heart and celebration of right now. If being thoughtful is up your alley, you have the option to delegate to