The Wisdom of the Wolves

 

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. 

He said, “My son, the battle is between two ‘wolves’ inside us all. One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed, and arrogance. The other is Good - It is peace, love, hope, humility, compassion, and faith. ”

The grandson thought about this for a while and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf wins?”

 To which the old Cherokee simply replied, 

“The one you feed.”

 Or,

The soul is like a garden, what you harvest depends on what you plant.  You reap what you sow.

Advice from Shakespeare

In Shakespeare's Hamlet, Polonius gives this famous counsel.

  

POLONIUS:

Yet here, Laertes? Aboard, aboard, for shame! The wind sits in the shoulder of your sail, And you are stay'd for. There, my blessing with thee. And these few precepts in thy memory See thou character. Give thy thoughts no tongue, Nor any unproportion'd thought his act. Be thou familiar, but by no means vulgar. Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, 

Grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel; But do not dull thy palm with entertainment Of each new-hatch'd, unfledged comrade. Beware Of entrance to a quarrel; but being in, Bear't that the opposed may beware of thee. Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice; Take each man's censure, but reserve thy judgment. Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, But not express'd in fancy; rich, not gaudy; For the apparel oft proclaims the man, And they in France of the best rank and station Are of a most select and generous, chief in that. Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry. This above all: to thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man. Farewell. My blessing season this in thee! 

  

And I'd like to thank this site for the text.  What more can I say.  This is thee quintesential life advice.   But "This above all: to thine own self be true."

And for all you philistines like me here's a more easier read of the same thing:

POLONIUS:

You’re still here, Laertes! Aboard, aboard, for shame! The wind sits in the best part of your sail, And the ship waits for you. There, my blessing with you! And see that you write these few precepts In your memory. Give your thoughts to yourself, And don’t act without thinking. Be friendly, but by no means vulgar. Those friends you have, and their friendship tested, Anchor them to your soul with hoops of steel, But don’t spend your money on entertaining Each newly acquired, unproven friend. Beware Of getting into a quarrel, but, once you are in, Fight so that the man you fight with may beware of you. Listen to what every man says, but speak to few. Take each man's opinion, but reserve your judgment. Buy as costly clothes as can pay for, But not made fancy, rich, and certainly not gaudy. For the clothes often tell what kind of man you are, And the ones in France of the best rank and station Are most choosy and generous in that regard. Neither a borrower nor a lender be. For a loan often loses both the loan and the friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of the economy. This above all, to your own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, You cannot then be false to any man. Goodbye. My blessing instill these things in you!