Undesiderata
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Go placidly amid the noise & haste, but better yet,
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avoid the noise and haste altogether. Be on good terms
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with all persons as far as possible; especially with shopkeepers.
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Speak the truth plainly & clearly; listen to others, even the dull and
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ignorant, until you are certain they are utterly useless.
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When you are not among men of reason, it is better to run than argue.
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Make use of loud & aggressive persons as salesmen, and to
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broadcast your radical views.
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If you compare yourself to others,
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you may become vain & bitter; for always there
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will be greater & lesser persons than yourself.
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This is a good thing; vanity makes you more interesting to look at,
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and bitterness makes you more practical and realistic.
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Keep interested in your own career, however
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humble; but if you don't enjoy humility for its own sake,
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learn to exercise yourself in greater spheres of action.
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Once you know something it is yours forever;
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it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
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You always have to take care of wealth; knowledge takes care of you.
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Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of people
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who must turn a profit to survive. Many persons strive for high ideals;
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some thrive, and some starve. There is no good reason to starve. Most
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people throw away treasures. Many useful & interesting items can be had for
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half price, if you are willing to buy them used.
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Be yourself. Especially, do not deny yourself pleasure for fear of social
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stigma. Indulge yourself in private. If you love yourself shamelessly,
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others will love you.
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Resist aging and death with every resource available to you. Nurture
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skills of self-defense. Learn how to survive under difficult conditions;
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this may shield you in sudden misfortune. Distinguish between illusion and
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reality, between emotion and fact. Avoid making important decisions on too
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little sleep.
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Kick your own ass. The universe neither cares about you nor recognizes any
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obligation to you. It is fixed and blind, a mad robot programmed to kill.
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You are free and seeing; you must outwit it at every poor turn.
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Whatever your labors & aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, you
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must create your own sanity, prosperity, and peace.
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The world is so gorgeous it hurts. Be careful. Strive to be happy.
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-found on a plaque attached to a communications satellite;
dated 2012
Copyright 1995 Romana Machado
This is a parody. Want to see the original?
* Please do not distribute without acknowledgement *