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Bees, Flies, Honey and Shit

Before you get into an argument remember this quote - "A bee does not waste its energy trying to convince a fly that honey is better than shit." Some minds are not meant to be changed - save your energy for what actually matters. It's  sharp, a little brutal, but has that satisfying sting of truth. Not every conversation is worth your oxygen. Some people are so invested in their version of reality that trying to move them even one millimeter is like trying to teach a rock to swim. This bee/fly analogy captures that asymmetry nicely—honey really "is" better than shit (objectively, measurably, sensorily), yet the fly will die on that hill anyway. Why burn your limited energy reserves on a guaranteed non-conversion? Where I pause a bit is the line “some minds are not meant to be changed.” It can feel true in the moment (especially after the 47th circular argument), but over longer time scales it’s not always accurate. Plenty of people who once passionately defended...
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“The danger is seeking agreement with what we already believe rather than seeking the truth.” (click 'read more' for context)

“The danger is seeking agreement with what we already believe rather than seeking the truth.”  "Don't Believe Everything You Think  (article here)
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Faith and fear share one thing in common - neither can be seen

Both "faith" and "fear" operate in the realm of the invisible. They don't show up under a microscope or in a photo. They're internal convictions about things that haven't (or might not) materialize yet. - Faith says: "Even though I can't see the outcome right now, I trust it's going to be good / possible / provided for." It projects hope, possibility, and often peace into uncertainty. - Fear says: "Even though I can't see it yet, something bad is coming / I'll fail / it'll hurt." It projects danger, loss, and often anxiety into the same uncertainty. Both are acts of imagination powered by belief. Neither is "provable" in the present moment—they're bets on the future. The big difference isn't visibility; it's 'direction' and 'energy: - Faith tends to expand you → opens doors, encourages action, builds resilience. - Fear tends to contract you → closes options, triggers avoidance or f...
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"Seeing is not believing -- it is only seeing" (click "read more" for context)

  "Seeing is not believing -- it is only seeing" George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin) 1872 The quote from George MacDonald — "Seeing is not believing — it is only seeing" — is spot-on and beautiful. In the story, it's spoken by Irene's great-great-grandmother to explain why Curdie (a pragmatic, skeptical miner boy) can't yet grasp or trust the spiritual realities Irene experiences, even after witnessing some of them. He sees fragments but lacks the faith or openness to believe them as true. The grandmother notes that mere sight often leads people to dismiss or rationalize away what doesn't fit their expectations — they'd "rub their eyes, forget the half they saw, and call the other half nonsense." The eyes transmit astonishingly little of ultimate reality. They weren't built to reveal the nature of consciousness, the divine, or the fabric of existence. For that, something more is required: an inner turning, faith, contemp...
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"The child is not meant to die, but to be forever fresh born." (click 'read more' for context)

"The boy should enclose and keep, as his life, the old child within him. He must still, to be a right man, be his mother's darling, and more, his father's pride, and more. The child is not meant to die, but to be forever fresh born." A beautiful and profound line, that comes from George MacDonald (the Scottish author and poet who deeply influenced C.S. Lewis and J.R.R.Tolkien). The quote is from his novel - The Princess and Curdie - It's a powerful reminder about preserving the " inner child" —not in a childish way, but in the sense of keeping alive wonder, curiosity, openness, playfulness, trust, and a sense of fresh possibility. MacDonald isn't saying we should stay immature or refuse to grow up - child-ish vs. child-like. Instead, he's suggesting that true maturity includes continually renewing and rebirthing that childlike essence within us. The "old child" (the innocent, imaginative core from our early years) shouldn't be kill...
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Belief - More or Less (click ‘read more’ for context)

  "People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard upon those who believe less. I doubt you would have believed it all yourself if you hadn't seen some of it. -- George MacDonald (The Princess and the Goblin) pg. 170 This beautiful quote from George MacDonald’s -The Princess and the Goblin - captures a profound moment of gentle wisdom spoken by the mysterious, grandmotherly figure to young Princess Irene. In the story, Irene has encountered wonders—her ethereal great-great-grandmother, a magical thread, and unseen realities—that others struggle to accept. When Curdie, the brave miner boy, doubts her tales despite the evidence of his rescue, the grandmother offers this compassionate insight:  “People must believe what they can, and those who believe more must not be hard upon those who believe less. I doubt if you would have believed it all yourself if you hadn’t seen some of it.” The line gently rebukes judgment while acknowledging the very ...
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