Negation as wisdom

Let's look at the following quotes:

1. Only the paranoid survive.
2. Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.
3. A creative man is motivated by the desire not to achieve, but by the desire to beat - himself.
4. Pessimism is the key to achievement. Nothing can be done with mere hope and confidence.

All negation quotes, quotes that defies our trained mode of thinking, and opens our mind to new possibilities. Lao Zi is an all-time expert in negative quotes. Zen masters are experts too. 

 

Hence when our mind is stuck, we can read some negative quotes, or make our own negative quotes. Meditate on them. It might work for you too!

 

By the way, the first quote is by Andy Grove, the second by Oscar Wilde. The third I negates from Ayn Rand's "A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others". And the last one I negates from Helen Keller's "Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence".

You can negate some for your own use. Why not?

If you still can't get it, you might perhaps like to know negation is jazz, negation is Picasso....