Curious about Automatic: How Do You Feel about Things and Reactions that Are Automatic?

“Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life. Too many of us divide and dissipate our energies in debating actions which should be taken for granted.” - Ralph W. Sockman, American leader

“Just because it's automatic doesn't mean it works.” - Daniel J. Bernstein, American mathematician

For today’s blog, I was planning to use the theme of automation, but there were only a few quotations, so I chose it’s cousin, automatic, which works even better. Why, though, automation and/or automatic? Mainly, because I question the marketing gurus who sing the praises of automation. They are ecstatic when they can use automation or software programs that “with the click of a button” will create five minute websites, write articles on the topic of your choice, and perform a plethora of other many step – and somewhat boring –tasks.

Well, I am not ecstatic! Why? Because, even though we are working on a machine, I don’t want to be treated like a machine. I thought that the main focus and secret of successful marketing is building relationships with people – not our computers. Yes, it does help to have the programs that produce the amazing results we can expect and experience. I just want to have enough control that others realize that I am a real and caring person. I am not coming to you automatically with the click of a button. I want you to know, like, and trust me as a person.

Is it the human factor that has made video marketing so popular? I know that I enjoy seeing real human beings talking to me, even if they are not perfect – it is almost better if they aren’t.


Following are some of the quotations that address automatic. I found them to have interesting approaches and thoughts. Would love to hear what you think. Here we go:

• “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr., American leader


• “Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone.” - Ayn Rand, Russian author


• “Repetition of the same thought or physical action develops into a habit which, repeated frequently enough, becomes an automatic reflex.” - Norman Vincent Peale, American clergyman


• “For imagination sets the goal picture which our automatic mechanism works on. We act, or fail to act, not because of will, as is so commonly believed, but because of imagination.” - Maxwell Maltz, American scientist


• “Racism is taught in our society, it is not automatic. It is learned behavior toward persons with dissimilar physical characteristics.” - Alex Haley, American novelist


• “Forget about being world famous, it's hard enough just getting the automatic doors at the supermarket to acknowledge our existence.” - Doug Coupland, Canadian author

And, a few more:

• “There are no automatic links between poverty and terrorism. Among millions of poor people in the world, only a few turn to terrorism.” - Gijs de Vries, Dutch politician


• “Working with the Kinks, there always seemed to be some kind of automatic process at work. Ray and I had this telepathy happening for a long time, where one of us always knew what the other could do with something.” - Dave Davies, British musician


• “The automatic stabilizer is unemployment insurance, food stamps, additional coverage of Medicaid.” – Franklin Raines, American businessman


• “Not wishing to be disturbed over moral issues of the political economy, Americans cling to the notion that the government is a sort of automatic machine, regulated by the balancing of competing interests.” - C. Wright Mills, American sociologist


• “My lyrics are generated by various peculiar processes. Very random and similar to automatic writing.” – Brian Eno, British musician


• “Abundance and vigor of automatic movements are desirable, and even a considerable degree of restlessness is a good sign in young children.” - G. Stanley Hall, American psychologist

I hope you find all of this as interesting as I do. Are we really making our lives better using automation, or are we just dehumanizing others? What do you think? I would love to hear from you.

Curious about Advice: How Do You Feel about Receiving It? and Giving It?

Definition of Advice: An opinion recommended or offered, as worthy to be followed; counsel. Deliberate consideration; knowledge. Information or notice given; intelligence; as, late advices from France; -- commonly in the plural.

“The true secret of giving advice is, after you have honestly given it, to be perfectly indifferent whether it is taken or not, and never persist in trying to set people right.” - Henry Ward Beecher, American clergyman

“Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always like it the least.” - George Chapman, English poet

I chose “advice” for this week’s blog, because the last few weeks have been so filled with advice. This extensive advice has come from both from the gurus that I trust and revere, along with some so-called gurus and/or experts whom are new to me. However, they have also been recommended by those I trust.

I am someone who is open to learning and self improvement, so I take the time to listen and weigh all of the pros and cons before taking serious action. And, some of that serious action involves large sums of money and time investments. Therefore, I figured that perusing the advice quotations would help me – and hopefully, you too - in deciding how to view, consider, share, and possibly adopt some of my overload of good and new advice.

The quotations have helped a great deal in the clarification of many sides to giving, receiving, and using advice. I would love to hear your thoughts on this rather prickly and varied topic.

Let’s get started with some quotations:

• “Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it.” - Harper Lee, American novelist



• “Know when to tune out, if you listen to too much advice you may wind up making other peoples mistakes.” - Ann Landers, American journalist



• “Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.” - Meg Cabot, American author



• “My mother gave lots of good advice and had a lot to say. As you get older, you realize everything she said was true.” - Lenny Kravitz, American musician



• “The best careers advice to give to the young is 'Find out what you like doing best and get someone to pay you for doing it.'” - Katherine Whitehorn, American journalist



• “Don't give advice unless you're asked.” - Amy Alcott, American athlete



• “An extreme optimist is a man who believes that humanity will probably survive even if it doesn't take his advice.” - John McCarthy, American politician



• “It takes a great man to give sound advice tactfully, but a greater to accept it graciously.” - Logan P. Smith, American writer

And, some more to chew on:

• “In real life, the most practical advice for leaders is not to treat pawns like pawns, nor princes like princes, but all persons like persons.” - James MacGregor Burns, American author



• “I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.” - Oscar Wilde, Irish dramatist



• “Wise men don't need advice. Fools won't take it.” - Benjamin Franklin, American politician



• “Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway.” - Warren Buffett, American businessman



• “Most people who ask for advice from others have already resolved to act as it pleases them.” - Khalil Gibran, Lebanese American poet



• “I was told to avoid the business all together because of the rejection. People would say to me, 'Don't you want to have a normal job and a normal family?' I guess that would be good advice for some people, but I wanted to act.” - Jennifer Aniston, American actress



• “Good advice is always certain to be ignored, but that's no reason not to give it.” - Agatha Christie, English writer



• “Whatever advice you give, be short.” – Horace, Roman poet

And, two more to take with you:

“I don't think of myself as a role model. I do try to live in a compassionate, considerate and positive way. The only advice I can offer is to find what you love to do, find the joy in it, and express yourself through your passion.” - Barry Williams, American actor

“The only advice I can give to aspiring writers is don't do it unless you're willing to give your whole life to it. Red wine and garlic also helps.” - Jim Harrison, American writer

So, where do you find and hear great advice? And do you share your advice with others?
I would love to hear from you!