“With savages, the weak in body or mind are soon eliminated; and those that survive commonly exhibit a vigorous state of health. We civilised men, on the other hand, do our utmost to check the process of elimination; we build asylums for the imbecile, the maimed, and the sick; we institute poor-laws; and our medical men exert their utmost skill to save the life of every one to the last moment. There is reason to believe that vaccination has preserved thousands, who from a weak constitution would formerly have succumbed to small-pox. Thus the weak members of civilised societies propagate their kind. No one who has attended to the breeding of domestic animals will doubt that this must be highly injurious to the race of man. It is surprising how soon a want of care, or care wrongly directed, leads to the degeneration of a domestic race; but excepting in the case of man himself, hardly any one is so ignorant as to allow his worst animals to breed.

The aid which we feel impelled to give to the helpless is mainly an incidental result of the instinct of sympathy, which was originally acquired as part of the social instincts, but subsequently rendered, in the manner previously indicated, more tender and more widely diffused. Nor could we check our sympathy, if so urged by hard reason, without deterioration in the noblest part of our nature. The surgeon may harden himself whilst performing an operation, for he knows that he is acting for the good of his patient; but if we were intentionally to neglect the weak and helpless, it could only be for a contingent benefit, with a certain and great present evil. Hence we must bear without complaining the undoubtedly bad effects of the weak surviving and propagating their kind; but there appears to be at least one check in steady action, namely the weaker and inferior members of society not marrying so freely as the sound; and this check might be indefinitely increased, though this is more to be hoped for than expected, by the weak in body or mind refraining from marriage.”
― Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man

A successful person is built based on the lessons they've learned from failure...

Simply put, what does every person want? Success in their pursuits. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen, beacause people tend to forget to put their dreams into practice. And for many other reasons such as fear of the unknown and laziness.

1. Success mus be planned

Improvised living will give you unexpected results. You will always have a better chance to succeed in any venture if you have a plan. By forming a simple plan, former non-planners will increase their rate of success. (general statistics argue this and also by my own life experiences).

 Having a complete vision of your intentions prepares you to execute them and you’ll be more likely to flatten obstacles in your way. It’s been proven to be more effective. In other words, pragmatic persons tend to have more success in life.

Specific intentions work better because vague intentions are open to interpretation.

2. Don't try to climb a mountain before you even leave the house (Dream big but...not so big).

For 2015, my goal is to finally get my degree in Biochemistry with a good mark. I study every day for these two exams. One hour to study every day is precious but it won't get me that far. The value comes from starting and from studying every day. It takes time and perseverence to succeed.

In other words, whenever I have time, I review the lessons I have to known "by heart". I am never intimidated by the challenge, even when I’m sick or tired, or worse when other people try to discourage many (and there are some because they have nothing to do and it's funny, I guess). This one tiny step helps me bridge the gap between couch and science.

When you aim high, intimidation is common, and that puts your goal at risk. If my goal is to ge a good biochemist, I would have failed at times and gotten discouraged (believe me, many, many times). Sometimes I think that my peseverence is in vain but I don’t ever feel discouraged.

This is more relevant for daily tasks and goals than long term dreams. Don’t dream to be a mediocre person. Dream big, but break that dream down into small, daily actions that inch you closer to it every day. If we could imagine that an exam is a fight, imagine every day is a perfect day to train for the final struggle.

Lesson to apply : One tiny step forward beats one giant leap sideways.

3. A single battle distracts them from the war

It is disappointing to lose any battle. Sometimes it’s devastating. If you lose your job, if you don't find emotional support from the people you care, it becomes almost impossible to be positive.

But the war is not over, is it? It will never be. If your business fails, won’t you know several key things NOT to do next time? Objectively, it’s a highly useful learning experience, at least it was for me. I made marvellous progressions, steps that I will never thought I could take.

Make sure you're not one of the many people who attach their identity to a submarine. If you mentally attach your identity and your chance to succeed to your business or in a jo, and your business fail or you get fired (shit happens...), your really cool submarine is destroyed, and you're stuck under water (surrounded by predators and without air, without people you can rely on and without money - we hate money but we need them). Instead, you should see your carrier as a ship that could possibly (one chance in millions) take you where you would like to go. That way, if it sinks, you can jump overboard and still join a pirate crew (good ingineers can become hackers :) ).

The optimal strategy in life is to focus on winning the battle you're in. I think most of us get this step right, but miss the next crucial one.

In real war, conditions and possible scenarios are altered after a battle. Both sides have gained knowledge about the other side's firepower and tactics, and both sides have lost resources. This calls for a modified strategy, which means zooming out for a broader view of the war.

Immediately after you receive that rejection letter, re-strategize for your "war". As Darwin said, "it is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change."

The most successful leaders in the history of warfare were the ones who could modify their strategy quickly, decidedly, and strategically. 

Even if you win a battle, you can lose ground in the war by not anticipating and preparing for the next battle. Life is full of battles, and the key is not letting any single battle distract you from your main objective in your "war" – Fight to live how you want to live.

Lesson: If you’re not currently in battle or have just finished (an exam), zoom out your focus to determine the current best strategy, then zoom back in and prepare for your next battle. On the other hand, you cannot afford to spend many time caught in the maze of eternal remorse.

4. Confidence doesn't guarantee success but it surely contributes to it

If you go in expecting to fail, you've got a great chance to do it. If I expected Destiny to wear me out, and waste my time, why would I write this? Pessimism leads to failure because it decreases the amount of effort a person will put forth. Success requires effort, which is fueled by the perspective that your efforts are not in vain.

Lesson: You instinctively hesitate to invest in a sinking ship, even if you're the one sinking it. Take a leap of faith, for charity.

5. fear is not real it is the product of our thoughts. Danger is very real, but fear is a choice.

Fear must be cold, because it freezes people. Deer are famous for freezing right before a car hits them. Like that situation, freezing in place isn't a smart strategy in life.

Progress paves the the way to success.

If it takes 10,000 hours to master something (Chemistry and Biology for me) and fear makes us do nothing, then fear needs to go away. Face your fears and you'll find success right behind them. Overcoming fear is a success in itself, and it opens the door for more.

Lesson: Learn to use fear as a weapon to achieve your goals and not as a demotivating argument.

6. The future stands in your hands (if you are unlucky as me).

"If she didn't … If I wasn't living here… If the economy… If that hadn't happened…"

Excuses and throwing blame are the same way of saying, "I'm not in control. "Now that's scary.

Everyone had a perfect excuse when the economy went into a recession in these past few years, but after telling everyone their perfect excuse, they were still in the same mess. Meanwhile, other people did well because they adapted ( once again survival of the fittest).

.
Excuses feel good temporarily, but don't be fooled, they can only hurt you. Accept full responsibility for where you are, and you'll have a chance to change it for the better.

Lesson: You are the only variable you can control in this world, master your actions wisely, make them count.

7. Maybe it's not the person, it's the place

Sometimes failure is simply a matter of location – the wrong country (at least I was born in Romania and not in Africa), the wrong parents (if only my parents were rich people), the wrong job, the wrong hobby (reading it's not so appreciated by those who claim it, at some point reading and writing become a question on making money and I cannot aprecciate if it's good or bad). This is the tricky aspect of failure – knowing when to move on to something else. Not all people are capable of success in all things, in fact most of us are capable of success in some areas and this is enough for many.

Right now, there is someone doing a mediocre job at work (I picture me at my former job at this hour), who could be world class in another field (maybe I was). This is a good reason to experiment and try different things – you might latch on to something and love it enough to succeed with it. Sucess is also bases on the sacrifices you are willing to make to accomplish your dreams.

Lesson: If a fish and a human switch places, they will both die of suffocation. Location matters.

8. Passion is the key to success

Apathy can infect any area of our lives, and when it strikes, it produces bucketfuls of failure. The scariest part of apathy is how contagious it is. You'll have it in one area of life, feel the resulting failure, and let it spread to another area. Or your apathetic friends will rub off on you.

This is one more reason to experiment and try different things – to ward off apathy. The more excited about your life and the possibilities to explore, the better! Apathy can often lead to the worst-case scenario of human life. That worst-case scenario is next on the list as the number one reason for failure, and it's the saddest thing you’ll ever see in a human being.

Lesson: The more you care, the more you’ll succeed.

9. When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place

It crushes me to see it – a human being full of potential…giving up. Suicide is the ultimate expression of giving up and in my opinion it is life's most tragic event. We all have a place in this world and suicide is giving up before you find it.

Giving up isn't always so obvious. Anybody you see could be giving up in some area of their life.

If you've ever seen someone you love give up on their dream or struggle, even temporarily, you know of the sinking feeling you get. Giving up is the number one reason people fail because it is the only permanent failure. As long as you are actively trying, you have not failed yet. But once you give up, success will not arrive unexpectedly.

You can have the worst strategy and focus on all of the wrong things, but as long as you keep trying, you will learn and have hope. That is an important truth.

Failure happens; none of us escape unblemished. But for every single person who has ever lived, the secret of life is an unflinching, inspiring little phrase that has shaped nations, bought freedom, saved lives, and fulfilled so many dreams…

I did not come here to suffer, or the love of stubborn gladness

Which doesn't mean shit always goes right. But it means that I try to live by the code of the poet Jack Gilbert: "We must have the stubbornness to accept our gladness in the ruthless furnace of this world."

Cheers to stubborn gladness, then.

Let's take a moment and reflect : stubborn gladness. I realized that those two words summed up my entire life philosophy: stubborn gladness.

Stubborn gladness does not mean ignoring negativity, injustice, or social inequality. It means continuing to work, trying to find the good, seeing the good, loving the good and even finding the beauty in the imperfections. Because light could not exist without dark, in the same way happiness would not exist without suffering. It's important to work in order to accomplish your dreams, because in realitydreams don't just come true.

Happiness is a human right (not yet recognized by laws), something that everyone is capable of with a little work, reframing, and contemplation. Happiness is the main purpose of that we call life. Or at least it should be. A life lived in pain or working without personal satisfaction is not worth lived. Happiness shouldn't be an impossible pursuit. It is not selfish to strive for it, work for it, and find it.

What's more: You create the life you want. You decide whether to fill it with passion, love, positive people and positive actions or whether to fill it with unfulfilling actions, negative people, or suffering.

Happiness is everywhere: you can find at the gym when you exercise, in park with your friends, the smile of a stranger, a long walk gazing at the stars on the sky. It is in your drum playing, your 10 minutes of meditation, your introspective journaling. It is in your latte from your favorite coffee shop, fall leaves, your conversation with your best friend. It is in your favourite meal, a good wine (rose for me) a play at the Opera, a good movie or good music. It is everywhere, in everything, if you have the courage to lift your eyes and look further.

Happiness is the begining of a wonderful period in one's life, a state of mind that is the minimum required to do great things, amazing performances.

Finding a companion in life : randomized process or follows patterns ?


I recall that the first books I read when I learned to read in my early infance were the greeks myths gathered togheter and retold by a romanian author. I read those two books several times.


So, from then I thought about life generally speaking and one's faith. What is a human if not a grain in the sand. So fragile and yet so courageous.


To sum all stories, in my childhood appeared to my mind the idea, yet unclear of faith and predestination. How much do we owe your achivment in life to ourselves and our proactive actions and how many to destiny ? And most important : in this life there is afterall that so divinized free arbitrage or is just water in the rain ? Do we have a word in designing your destiny or we just have to fallow the faith as it moves sneak as water between the rocks ?


I cannot avoid to observe people ; their character, personality, behavioural and gestures, even voice and mimics. And if this wasn't enough, following my law studies, I cannot avoid to judge them. :( Bad prosecutor, I never forgive and bad judge, I refuse to admit excuses or exhonerating circumstances.

Sometimes I wish I were wrong, but nature has its own ways. Things don't always happen as we hoped they will and eventually facts confirm my basic instincts. More then anyone else I known, I would give some years of my life just to see I am wrong and that the light at the end of the tunnel is a glourious end.


However, in choosing a life partner, stars must be align in "a very positive way. :)"

We tend to choose a partner basing on reasoning and as someone special to me said : You know, you may have many realations with special persons and there may be tones love and passion between you, BUT when you choose "someone to breed", a life companion, you choose someone like you, preferable the same social statute, background and aspirations. So love and marriage are like parralel lines that seem to meet at some point but that in fact never will. End of the story or the begining of the story.

Based on this conclusion, finding a person with whom we build a long lasting relation is a randomized process or follows patterns ? We choose someone because we meet in a certain place (and this makes half of the story), of course it would be funny to imagine a love story between a judge and a convicted person but never say never. Life can be amusing sometimes, if you hold a degree in the Management of Sarcasm and you enjoy not always laughing at someone but also being the victim of a joke, a cruel one.

In order to be the master of your destiny, you have to follow it. I know a quote that goes as Follow your destiny or you will be destroy by it. True. Sometimes you have to take the Ego apart and be prepared to accept you might be wrong and you are a candle in the wind.

The most beautiful dream I had, a few years ago because now I have only nightmares, pictured me as a small particle in the universe. A tiny particle with a negligible weight, alone in space. I felt such a relieve to be one with the universe, confort I didn't found elsewhere. I looked on the sky being in peace with myself, admiring the beauty of the stars that shined. So much light and good and air. I could finally breath. Then, out of nowhere, it crossed my mind the idea that I may collied with another particle and that I have to return. Fear and tears. End of the dream, or at least of the part I remembered.

The idea of having a soulmate in my highschool years has the core of my existence. Then, over the years, I became less courageous because love is a bet and I fell I cannot lose a game. Growing old and becoming weak.

Come what may, I will use my poker face, but I don't want to lose this game. The speech of Aristophanes in story Symposium by Plato explaining why people in love say they feel "whole" is due to the human nature. In a few words, at the begining of time people had double bodies, being spheric creatures that were splitted apart by Zeus because they were powerful creatful and the gods feared their power. He thought to kill them but considered the advantage of using them so he split the sphere in two. And ever since then we are in a permanent search of the other half to comple our primarily nature.) For me, it's terrifying to accept that idea.)

No problem for me. There are plenty of solutions for coward and lazy people as me. This is why I love greeks and greek culture. No greek book stated an unique idea that became "the one and only word, the sentence, the truth, the leading philosophy", there are many points of view. Different solution to the same problem. In other words a personalized life partner pattern for some and for other the dices roll and we obtain a randomized result (to a certain extent, some limits. Maybe the Universe is infinite but possibilites are calculated and found in a number).

I assume that men are enchanted with Socrate's speech from Plato's Symposium. :) Natures calls, unphilosofically speaking.

Socrates argues that men should make an ascent to arrive at the discovery of the ideal form of beauty (such as Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde, what if we remember what happened to the glourious beauty of the character endevoured by his ambition of sublime beauty).


However Socrates states that men should start with the love of a particular beautiful person (typically, of course, no personal comment). The next step is to pass from this particular instance to beauty in general, and from physical to moral beauty (three and still counting). The fourth step is to attain the love of wisdom, and then from this to the appreciation of the absolute and divine beauty. Platonic love or being in love with love. Life cannot be modified by phylosophy, it just happens, above thinking and desire.

Socrates doesn't consider that this self awaking and transformation involves "persons", and our "bildungroman" would be theooretically built by following what we have to do and not what we should do. For I have read many stories about women (feminist ?, neah..) that were manipulated and hurt by man, abandonated in the rain, literally speaking. Men that become a brute and that at least for a period of time if not for life become a painful memory, an open wound, perhaps never to be healed.

Indeed, if a game is lost, and love is the most thrilling game, you cannot pretend mercy from your enemy. We know what happens in battle with prisoners : death, slavery or exchange


I assume after reading these speeches three times and still counting that every one can have an opinion

and that we shouldn't take life and love seriously. After all, this speeches were written on a drinking party. As romans say : In vino veritas.

Concluding with the lyrics from La traviata, let's enjoye the beauty of love.

Libiamo, libiamo ne'lieti calici
che la belleza infiora.
E la fuggevol ora s'inebrii
a voluttà.
Libiamo ne'dolci fremiti
che suscita l'amore,
poichè quell'ochio al core
Omnipotente va.
Libiamo, amore fra i calici
più caldi baci avrà.
All:
Ah, libiamo;
amor fra i calici
Più caldi baci avrà

What is a saint?


"A saint is someone who has achieved a remote human possibility. It is impossible to say what that possibility is. I think it has something to do with the energy of love. Contact with this energy results in the exercise of a kind of balance in the chaos of existence. A saint does not dissolve the chaos; if he did the world would have changed long ago. I do not think that a saint dissolves the chaos even for himself, for there is something arrogant and warlike in the notion of a man setting the universe in order. It is a kind of balance that is his glory. He rides the drifts like an escaped ski. His course is a caress of the hill. His track is a drawing of the snow in a moment of its particular arrangement with wind and rock. Something in him so loves the world that he gives himself to the laws of gravity and chance. Far from flying with the angels, he traces with the fidelity of a seismograph needle the state of the solid bloody landscape.”

― Leonard Cohen, Beautiful Losers

Look closely, because the closer you think you are, the less you will actually see

Although magic has been around for thousands of years, the art of magic has never been as popular as it is today, due to the popular culture cultivated by movies and art.

For proof of this you need look no further than Harry Potter and his school for magicians. Yet what lies behind the movies and stage magic we see today ? Prepare yourselves for a spellbinding tour of sorcery.

Turning water into wine ? A biblical story ! Magic isn't lacking in the Adventures of Tintin (my favourite cartoon character), but it often appears in the form of entertainment as opposed to the quasi-religious sorcery practised by many holy madmen and shamans in the past.

Such activities sometimes proved hazardous for practitioners, even fatal: at certain times during the Medieval Inquisitions (from the 13th century) sorcerers and witches were relentlessly pursued and killed as punishment.

Some say there are two types of magic : white magic and black magic.

Let's meet the seven secrets of magic 

All magic essentially consists of some kind of distraction from reality. As they say, first rule of magic is to be always the smartest person in the room.

As the old adage goes "seeing is believing'' and the magician's art lies in his ability to make you believe what you can see without guessing the reality behind the scenes. Modern magic plays on seven awe-inspiring effects :

Levitation : a person or object seemingly floating in the air.

Apparition : making a person or object appear in unexpected places. This is the type of effect seen in the most well known magic trick of all time: pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

Disappearance : making things disappear. An assistant goes into a cupboard with the doors closed behind her. When the doors are opened, she is nowhere to be seen.

Transformation : the magician hides his assistant behind a screen of some kind ; when he lifts the screen (following some magic spells of course) the person has been transformed into an animal.

Teleportation : The magician's assistant is in a particular location on the stage and then suddenly appears in a completely different place.

Invulnerability : an assistant is locked inside a box which is then pierced with swords. At the end of the trick, the assistant steps out of the box without a scratch.

Mentalism : the magician reads thoughts, or sees people or objects while blindfolded. And has the ability to manipulate others behaviour by influencing their thoughts.

Can magicians change the course of nature ?

Certainly not ! The proof can be found within the pages of Prisoners of the Sun. So as to escape from being burned alive by Inca priests, Tintin makes use of an old trick. He discovers, through a newspaper clipping, that an eclipse of the sun has been calculated to take place in, eighteen days time, at 11 o'clock...He therefore asks to be executed at precisely this time.

When the hour of reckoning comes he makes the Incas believe that he has the power to make the sun disappear, resulting in pandemonium... and also convincing the Incas to spare the lives of Tintin and his friends. Nevertheless, a magic show or trick really does have some power to transform your life by helping you relax and enjoy yourself, forget your worries or suddenly solve a problem you have been worrying about.Tintin would definitely have made a good magician !

Can a hypnotist take control of your mind ?

These days even doctors use hypnosis to relax patients, in therapeutical purposes. It can also be used as a form of anaesthetic. Even if we don't believe in it, when doctors use it fevers and pain are reduced. Hypnotism hasn't always had therapeutical uses. The main aim of hypnotism in magic is to place the willpower of a person under the control of the magician. Hypnotised, the victim does things without being conscious of them making the phenomenon a wonderful element of drama and suspense.


The will of one can be broke by another will, a mind can be enslaved by another mind and finally breaking someone's will, will make you gain power over his life and lead him to the point you want to get. But as every power, has a major fault : using your power to psihically destroy other will eventually lead to mental disorders (seen on movies about holocaust when jews were executed, those militars who shot them go mad, also perfect illustrated in the movie Shutter Island. And there is no backward moving, once you destroy, the vase cannot be repaired, by any means.


So think twice. Mind your own business and foucus on your destiny for we do not have the power or allowance to interfere with that of another man. Whenever you think you fooled a person, think twice. You fooled yourself and broke the barrier between good and bad.

Magic should be used to create something beautiful, to show the others a great performance that will make them vibrate and most of all give them HOPE. Hope is the ultimate wapon of humanity confronting with their faith. (even if Zeus gave Pandora a box with all evils to spread on earth and hope is the last that got out), leading us to the conclusion that HOPE is an evil. It could be, but it is the last resort to be attached to in sufference.

So for those who think they can fool the others, a quote from Now you see me (I can hardly wait to see the next one in 2016) ! :)

"Let me warn you. I want you to follow, because no matter what you think you might know, we will always be one step, three steps- seven steps ahead of you, and just when you think you're catching up, that's when we'll be right behind you. And at no time will you be anywhere other than exactly where I want you to be. So come close, get all over me because the closer you think you are, the less you'll actually see."

Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity and chance is what happens when talent meets opportunity

We cannot have all we dream in life. At least not all of us because we always depend on somebody. This is the main reason so many trees were cut to write tragic novels and poems.

Not only that we depend on people, but also that we depend on their mood at a certain moment. Yes, people nowadays are connected to technology and information and they have that strong belief that they are gods or kings (when they are on their haunting territory). I believe it's called the complex of deity. As they are so confident about their important role in society, they can afford to treat the others "mortals" like slaves. It is a relation of submission.

And those who doubt about their moral capacity and intelligence firstly become the slaves of their incapabilitis and later become the slaves of the others. If your dreams cannot become true because you dream too big, you have to work hard to help the others achieve their ones. Yes, sad but true. Life is a fight and can only be a single winner. 

I read an article few months ago written by Stephen Hawing. Briefly, he concluded that the world will end because of our agresivity. It wouldn't be a surprise to return to the inferior stages of evolution.  I see people argue so convince they are right. Also, I see that the technology that was meant to brings us closer but fact distance us. 

Facebook, that worldwide known social network...It Was a social network that was design to bring people closer and not taking them apart. Now, I see that it becomeS a network used primarly to analyse and to criticize and most of all envy people. 

Why there are some that can afford an expensive trip in Bahamas, Seychells and I cannot ? And the list keeps going. Now, after analyzing our need of socialize, as Aristotel said we are "zoon politikon", I see that people need a network that can put them in the first place. :) Something like : You are the owner of your destiny and you are the most powerful of all and in the same time, you have thousands of friends and we all are a happy family. 

We have to live in peace with our destiny and accept that some people just are made to have more than others no matter how hard we try to bring justice into light. Yes, life is complicated nowadays for all, but the true lucky and favourd by faith at the end of the day can smile.

If somebody would ask me why life is a tragedy for those who weren't born under Fortuna's grace, I would say it's simple and because it's simple is sad. Simple things are the sadest as simple words such as hate and love seem to be the hardest words.

In order to succed and be lifted up in the air, you have to accept that you have to do your best to make your destiny.  

If you think that somebody can help you with something else except money and some words (people give advices whenever they can even if they aren't asked, unfortunately), you are wrong. To be emotional independent, it's the key to success in life. To bear your own cross. 

People tend to become emotional attached and move backward towards their basic instinct. This is a good thing to do, considering that there are some "elements" who spend their life manipulating the others. 

You have to dream big but to use perseverence to achive it. Learn day after day, never rest, always move. Use every breath  to make you fell confortable with yourself. Enjoy every day as it is the last. 

Otherwise, it's better not to dream at all and accept that you will work all your life helping those curious gods and powerful kings to build their dreams or better said that grotesque spectacle, for people without talent and substance (soul) don't have dreams or hops they just organize plays to be played by mighty slaves or actors. 

I wish really talented people  have the chance to be appreciated and encouraged in life. But sometimes, life is cruel and the dices roll independent on talent and intelligence or perseverence. Sometimes, luck plays a role when defines someone's life.

Some were born under a lucky star and we will never know they existed and others stoled the sparkle from them and made an artificial spectacle of fireworks. And what a spectacle! Quite a show....

However, everyday the sun shines for all of us and sometimes all that remains to be done is to accept that the laws of nature favours those who accept them and ruins those who defy  "gravity". 

When you do not accept the general order, DO NOT act. Afterall, it's better to play dead than actually be.

Maybe Fortuna will eventually turn her attention on you. Or me