When I was in high school like 20 years ago, this was hanging on the wall, but attributed to Gandhi hahaha

True, it’s actually just an ancient Chinese proverb (so not by Lao Tzu and can’t be traced to any single Chinese philosophers per se but most probably one of them during the Spring and Autumn period 770-210 BC, in which Chinese philosophy flourished).

The original quote is this:

“积行成习，积习成性，积性成命”

“Actions accumulate to become habits, habits accumulate to become character, characters accumulate to become destiny”

The current quote is apparently sourced to a Japanese scholar who studied ancient China (whom most likely was inspired by the ancient Chinese proverb); he’s been quoted to say something similar to this:

“心理变，态度亦变；态度变，行为亦变；行为变，习惯亦变；习惯变，人格亦变；人格变，命运亦变。”

Which directly translates to:

“Thoughts change, then attitude/mindset change; attitude/mindset change, then behaviors change; behaviors change, then habits change; habits change; habits change, then character changes, character changes, then destiny changes.”

Which I think then inspired the current English version

I did not think so, before I click your link I'm guessing Aristotle.

Edit: I need to look into Frank Outlaw

• Michael Scott

Confucius say: man walk with one hand in pocket, feeling little cocky.

I jumped into this post just after one about Cunningham's law.

Funny...

Well if Lao Tzu didn’t say it, it’s not important or useful imo

"Lao Tzu lived in a hut and ate straw!"

OP is a low-effort karma farming account.

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"People only remember something on the internet if it's attributed to someone famous."

• Thomas Jefferson

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That's why they need watching... :)

I'm not, like, a massive fan of The Secret or the alleged 'magical powers' of what is termed the law of attraction (for the same reasons that I think any belief system can be harmful when you take it too far and shut out necessary parts of reality). However, I think that there is a lot of practical wisdom behind the principle of taking control of your thoughts - which is what I believe this quote is getting at (regardless of who said it). Although bad experiences are inevitable and negative thoughts can be both useful and necessary, I think that there is a tremendous value in training our brains to focus on the outcomes and ideas that we want more of in our lives. Unfortunately, there are quite a few folks who thoughtlessly peddle various brands of bullshit toxic positivity that bastardize this term. They tend to preach that positive thinking (positive honking if you are my phone's autocorrect) as though it is a type of supernatural force that is 100% effective at bringing about the seemingly impossible (and if you don't achieve success it is because you failed in your methodology - convenient) or alternately, it is used as a type of hollow mantra that will eventually be believed if you just say it long enough or see it frequently enough without doing the work - conveniently a great way to sell merch also.

Instead I think the value lies in harnessing the brain's tremendous power as a muscle by strengthening your resolve to achieve xyz by specifically targeting targeting neural pathways that take you there. It's a fucking hike at first and can feel pretty unnatural and like a pointlessly difficult exercise in futility where you are trying to trick yourself (it did for me anyway as I am naturally cynical and my internal monologue trends toward being an unfairly negative self-critic of the highest order). So I was fucking stunned stupid by the impact this [initially] labored shift in thinking had on my life -- in achieving my own goals and in my attitude towards life. It unexpectedly had this incredibly transformative effect on my relationships as well. The quality of my interactions with others heightened and I found myself learning and valuing people I had long ago written off as incapable of providing me with anything. Anyway, I chose to vomit this insight out because it was just so much more worthwhile than I expected and I needed to write it down as a reminder to myself that it is worth the effort (I have let it wane as of late). Perhaps it will be useful to you in your own life. If not, I hear they're doing awesome shit with crystal balls these days.

Good luck to you! (I know you are half joking but I recommend starting by doing all you can to focus on things you genuinely value in your partner and job and go from there. If nothing else, it'll be helpful in the upcoming divorce and termination proceedings lest you inadvertently allow all the bad to spill out :)

Guess you have some life work ahead of you.

Yeah, this is extra shit advice if you have OCD intrusive thoughts

I would be rich, happy, and full of energy.

That's why you have to watch your thoughts, because your thoughts become you if unchecked.

As someone with anxiety I think Lao Tzu's words still work.

You should watch your anxious/intrusive thought. They aren't you, but if you let them run rampant they will become you.

I let my anxious thoughts control me from the time I was 15-20 and I'm 22 still working my way out.

You’re missing part of the point of the eastern philosophy being espoused here (although I doubt this Lao Tzu). From this perspective, there is no “self” and the phrase “you are not your thoughts” is incoherent. So I think the author would agree with you 100%.

Another metaphor I like is that thoughts/feelings are like logs passing on a river. They will all pass unless we start to hold onto them and build on to them. So, for the person with intrusive thoughts, it is important to recognize that the thoughts are temporary, but it is also important to take care with the type of thoughts you do hold on to. I don’t think your position is that far away from the sentiment of the quote.

Also, you may not be destined to follow your thoughts, but the types of thoughts you focus on will inevitably affect your actions. Intrusive or not. So it’s still important to keep in mind the causal connection between our passing mental states and our overall character.

The best tool for intrusive thought disorder is to take action. Certainly don't own the thoughts as your entire being, but take action to make them more pleasant. I have an extreme intrusive though disorder. 10 years ago it was literal non-stop suicidal idealation coming from my intrusive thoughts, that lasted for years. Now I am happy and past that, because I watched my thoughts and took action to think better.

The quote doesn't mean thoughts with the context of mental illness in mind. It means intentions.

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Is this a reference to something? Humans cannot eat straw, straw is made of lots of plant sugars like Cellulose (probably mostly cellulose). Cellulose is a 12 carbon sugar like Sucrose but your body can't unfold it (mutorotate) due to an extra Hydroxide group sticking up that keeps your sugar-digesting enzyme from fitting around it.

Cellulose stays intact in your gut and in long strands that physically rake the interior of your gut and bind up your digestive contents. Yes, its 'fiber'.

All vertebrates lack the ability to unfold cellulose. Some animals have retained special bacteria in their gut that they house in a special organ called the cecum. This bacteria requires lots of time to break down cellulose. Animals with a cecum that can break down cellulose have a VERY slow digestive system. Some have multiple stomachs, like a cow. Others practice coprophagia, the practice of eating feces. Rabbits and deer eat their first couple bowel movements of the morning in order to give bacteria time to break down cellulose. They also need to do this to help retain that bacteria.

Our guts move food through relatively quick. Much too fast for cellulose to break things down. This is in part because we stand upright and are subsistance runners but also because we are omnivores. Mammals that eat meat tend to have extremely fast digestive systems to prevent necrotizing (flesh eating) bacterias in our food from infecting us.

TLDR: It is highly unlikely the man lived off of eating straw.

Beautiful, thank you so much for sharing.

Observe fits better here. Pay attention to your thoughts, don't suppress them, but also don't dwell on them.

Watch your legacy. It becomes your luggage.

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Cut and paste, then print

/u/underscorebot

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Please clarify :)