Bride of RPS Meditations - more thoughts for daily growth

[Master Roshambollah]

"Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person."   - Albert Einstein

"Mastery passes often for egotism."  - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"Mastery is indeed a very complicated state."  - James Galway

[Jef Hallestone]

Did a little remixing of the quotes to make them more accurate:

"Master Roshambollah passes often for egotism." - Jef Hallestone

"Master Roshambollah is indeed a very complicated state." - Jef Hallestone

[Dr. Helliose Zastro]

Excellent quotes, Roshambollah.  Here are a couple of others:


If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.
Michelangelo

Ah, mastery... what a profoundly satisfying feeling when one finally gets on top of a new set of skills... and then sees the light under the new door those skills can open, even as another door is closing.
Gail Sheehy

[custardchuk]

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act."

mmmm.. sounds like it was written by an actor.

regards
custardchuk

[custardchuk]

There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept."

While I don't like the "There is nothing worse...." bit, because there always is, I like the idea of a "bad" sharp image of a fuzzy concept.

I am not sure why I like this quote. I think it is just the 'vibe' of it.
I am positive it refers to RPS but I have no idea why.

regards
custardchuk

[Master Roshambollah]

Here are a couple of good ones:

"It is curious how this happens so often.  The young masters want to do better than the old masters, and to prove all kinds of innovations.  Sometimes the element of surprise produces good results; but with certain classical variations, as in the present case, the new moves are frustrated by the uncompromising defence of the old guard."

-former World Chess Champion Jose Capablanca, from his Last Lectures.  The previous World Champion, Emanuel Lasker, actually resigned the title, seeing that Capablanca had become too strong.   Capablanca preferred to play for the title, but Lasker resigned anyway, with the great quote, "You have earned the title not by the formality of a challenge, but by your brilliant mastery."


Here are some other quotes from a text on sumo I read recently ("Sumo" by Walter Long.)  There are an amazing number of comparisons that can be drawn between the sport of sumo and the sport of RPS, and lessons from one sport frequently carry over to another.  Here a couple of gems for the advanced RPS player:

on Psychological Warfare - "A rikishi's (strong warrior's) weapons are of three types [observe the trinity!  -Rosh].  The first are physical - the strength and speed developed through training.  The second are technical - the skills and techniques acquired through experience.  The third, but by no means least  important, are psychological.  Since a sumo bout [or RPS match - Rosh] really begins as a psychological confrontation, this latter merits some discussion.  It is also, at least to Westerners, one of the more unusual aspects of the sport."

on the importance of Names - "A sumo name, or shikona, is a symbol, and, as with all symbols of sumo, it is accorded great respect and never taken lightly.  Selection of a proper shikona is vital...A proper shikona links the rikishi to something powerful, and the association is a source of strength."

[Master Roshambollah]

“To vilify a great man is the readiest way in which a little man can himself attain greatness”
- Edgar Allan Poe

“I am already so popular that anyone who vilifies me becomes more popular than I am”
- Karl Kraus

“Nothing has more retarded the advancement of learning than the disposition of vulgar minds to ridicule and vilify what they cannot comprehend”
-Samuel Johnson

“They have vilified me, they have crucified me; yes, they have even criticized me.”
- Richard J. Daley

“AMBITION, n. An overmastering desire to be vilified by enemies while living and made ridiculous by friends when dead.”
- Ambrose Bierce

"If you want to make peace, you don't talk to your friends.  You talk to your enemies."
- Moshe Dayan

“Vilify, Vilify, some of it will always stick.”
- P.A. Caron de Beaumarchais

“A wrongly accused man is always vilified by the ignorant masses. Such a man should fire at will, he is bound to hit something.”
- Anon.

[Master Roshambollah]

"If you're a long way from the water, shooting fish in a barrel is a matter of survival."

[Master Roshambollah]

"You can't win a match of RPS by alternating between two losing strategies."

-Master Roshambollah, earlier today, after losing a Hustler Style match 10-6 to Fattyus Maximus, while alternating between two losing strategies.

[martinburley]

"Confident, cocky, lazy, dead."
- Johnny Wulgaru, in 'Otherland' by Tad Williams

[gorramscott]

 'Don't Fear the reaper'

 - Blue Oyster Kult

[martinburley]

One cannot become a sporting legend without being either a machine, a madman or a magician.

[ScissorSista]

My Zen Master told me that to find the true meaning of life I should do the exact opposite of what he said.

So I didn't.

[martinburley]

"The skillful are not obvious.

They appear to be simple-minded.

Those who know this know the patterns of the Absolute.

To know the patterns is the subtle power.

The subtle power moves all things and has no name."

(David R Hawkins, 'Power vs Force')

[Master Roshambollah]

"Give him blow for blow, scorn for scorn, doom for doom; with compound interest liberally added thereunto.  Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, aye four-fold, a hundred-fold.  Make yourself a terror to your adversary and when he goeth his way, he will possess much additional wisdom to ruminate over."

(Ragnar Redbeard, 'Right is Might')