Posted on 06/11/2025 9:59:44 AM PDT by MosesKnows
Hustling?
I agree with Benjamin Disraeli’s observation that the wisdom of the wise, and the experience of ages, may be preserved by quotation. Observing how Shakespeare’s plays and Poor Richard’s Almanac fit all the wisdom of man found in Proverbs into our everyday lives is intriguing to me.
I came across two related quotations that connected with something I learned from a friend who was an amazing good pool shooter. A pool match at an underground western dance hall with a pool table prompted this observation.
The dance floor was huge and crowded but over in one corner was a pool table with only a handful of players. Bryce, (not my friend’s real name but close) spotted the table and we went to watch. We watched for a while and they were impressive. Bryce invites himself into the game and after a while, he defeats everyone. When one big shooter walks towards us as we are leaving, I’m thinking we were going to get our asses kicked but then he extended his hand and said to Bryce, it was a pleasure watching you shoot.
I later asked if he had considered hustling and he said no, and here is why. I am good, I am damn good, but I would have to be so much better to be that good without it showing.
The two quotes were:
Sometimes you must play the role of a fool to fool the fool who thinks they are fooling you. It is a profitable thing, if one is wise, to seem foolish. Aeschylus
If you want to improve, if you want to achieve wisdom, you have to accept looking clueless or even stupid from time to time. Epictetus
My take on these related events is that sometimes you can teach better by pretending to learn but you had better be better than damn good.
Only this: Great post!
I used to listen to a lot of motivational tapes and read a lot of books on the subject. One thing that hit me one day is what you eluded to in your post: All great wisdom is really just a modern (for it’s time) rewording of what one finds in Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. And Ecclesiastes even starts with pointing it out: “There is nothing new under the sun.”
I read and learned from those quotes many years ago...
Interesting, what did you learn?
How to hustle...
I agree.
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