The Book of Ironwolf

Integrated Wisdom in Concise English

By Robert C. McNally
ironwolf@dangerousgames.com
Copyright © 1997-2002

Started April 21, 1997 C.E.

Updated May 28, 2002 C.E.

Most of the action on my site is now in my blog. I invite you to visit!

Introduction

What does "wisdom" mean? Dictionary definitions aside, I think that each individual must answer that question for themselves. What we consider wise, others may consider foolish, and we ourselves may find that in retrospect wisdom we once held dear now seems foolish.

However, I think that anyone can gain much of value by studying what other people, past and present, find wise. I also think that most people of any life experience have discovered general principles that they find rewarding to live in harmony with.

I have often wished I had a collection of all the little bits of wisdom I have found useful and true over the course of my life. Of course, since no-one will write them all down except me, I decided to begin the task.

I follow several principles in choosing wisdom to list here. The first: that I personally find the principle wise. Because I believe in the importance of avoiding contradiction, I find integration equally important: I do not want a random hodgepodge of sayings; the principles must hold together in a unified way. Next comes clarity: I decided to keep my statements concise, every word counting, none lost on poetry for its own sake. And as almost any wise statement (however short) can become the subject of a full-length book, I also opt for brevity, avoiding long-winded expositions of why I think each point has value.

As you read and consider these statements, some may strike you as familiar. I have drawn on many sources of wisdom, and make no apologies for paraphrasing wise statements that I find already clear and concise.

Right now my book has little organization. I consider it vastly incomplete, and expect to update it frequently. Perhaps by the end of my life I may consider it only very incomplete. I look forward to hearing your comments on it. I also encourage you to take the time to put down for posterity the life principles you find most valuable.

You will benefit more from applying the wisdom you already know than you will from learning more wisdom.
The universe does not care about you.
The government does not care about you.
The organization does not care about you.
Those you interact with care about you to the extent that they stand to gain or lose from the interaction.
If you do not care about yourself, no one else will either.
Choose your friends from those with whom you share mutual respect.
Those who would coerce others least deserve their respect.
In all things you either grow or die-- no middle ground exists.
In times of stress, we revert to habit. Therefore, choose and develop desirable habits.
Do all with wisdom.
Study common sense.
Master your native language.
Study the laws of logic, and the logical fallacies.
Study the method of science.
Proportion your belief to the evidence.
Study the mind of your enemy.
Plan several moves ahead.
Choose your battles.
Reveal your dreams and plans only to those who have a need to know.
Never reveal to others the amount of work you put into your achievements-- make them seem effortless.
Success confirms what you know, but failure teaches.
Wisely indulge yourself in pleasure.
Wisely consider your vengeance.
Take responsibility for the consequences of your actions and inactions.
Every encounter with another human tests what you really believe.
Except in formal contracts, do not ask anyone to keep your secrets; rather tell them you feel sensitive about the information you want to give them, and that you trust them to act wisely with it.
Do not tell anyone anything you cannot bear to have repeated.
With responsibility must come commensurate authority.
Give those that hold positions of authority the respect their ideas and actions deserve.
Do not grind yourself down in the gears of bureaucracy.
Live life to its fullest now. Do not push fulfillment beyond the horizon.
Live in the present, the only moment you have.
Live this life now, for you do not know you have another.
Make the most of every moment of your life.
Give kindness to those who deserve it. Do not waste your kindness on the ungrateful.
Live rationally.
Use words overloaded with meaning such as "love" and "truth" sparingly.
Use words such as "fuck" and "damn" sparingly, or they lose their power.
Use the verb "to be" sparingly, for it can discriminate falsely. "To be" includes the conjugations "is", "are", "am," "was", "were", and the contractions such as "it's."
Use a word only if you have a reasonably good idea of what it means. If you encounter a word you don't understand, look it up immediately.
Avoid sarcasm. Do not say the opposite of what you mean.
Many arguments happen not due to a fundamental disagreement, but because of accidental miscommunication.
Give yourself an extra moment to consider your words before you speak.
In order to gain and retain their benefits, you must perform some activities repeatedly, at proper intervals, over long periods of time. So cultivate consistency in these things.
To learn anything well, you need to study it intensely over a short period of time, and then apply it repeatedly over a long period of time.
You know something well when you can teach it to someone else.
Show kindness to little children. Do not harm them.
Show kindness to non-sentient animals. Do not kill them unless attacked or for your food.
Give your opinions and advice only if asked for them.
Tell your troubles to others only if you know they want to hear them.
When in another's territory, show the owner respect or else do not go there.
Do not make unwanted sexual advances.
Do not take that which does not belong to you unless it clearly burdens the other person and they cry out for relief.
Do not complain about anything to which you need not subject yourself.
Do not tolerate the whining of others.
Boldly ask for your desires.
If a guest in your territory annoys you, you may avenge yourself upon them.
When walking in open territory, bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, you may avenge yourself upon them.
Showing mercy towards your enemy gives them power over you.
Keep the commitments you make, and only make commitments you will keep.
Unshakably follow truth, especially when the truth requires change.
Make the best of your circumstances.
Live free of ignorance, mysticism, and delusion.
Live free of shame, guilt, and fear.
Live free of hypocrisy.
Do not seek flattery.
Strike a win/win deal, or no deal at all.
Create synergy through cooperation with others.
Listen attentively.
Practice mindfulness.
Get agreements in writing.
You do not need external approval. You alone judge your own worth.
80% of something's value lies in 20% of its constituent parts.
Small things do not impact your future, carry no negative consequences, and do not account for the majority of your results. So refuse to clear up small things first: start with your most important task.
Seek first to understand others, so they feel understood. Only then seek that others understand you.
You can learn a great deal from those who do not agree with you.
You do not know a person well until you have seen their dark side.
Anger can serve you, but learn when to let it go.
Respect the interdependency of all life.
Do not become enamored of a charismatic leader: ultimately you lead yourself.
Lead others by your own example.
You make the choice to feel happiness or peacefulness from moment to moment. External events cannot force you to feel otherwise.
Make time to renew and sharpen your mind and body.
Make regular backups.
Balance your body, intellect, and emotions. Respect and listen to each as a trusted advisor.
Learn to quiet your mind, to let it fall silent. Use this skill when you need your own space.
Cultivate and enjoy your fantasies, but clearly know where your fantasies end and reality begins.
Treasure your body: learn about it, take care of it, invest in it. Never neglect it.
Do not blame your tools for the failure of your work.
You cannot revive a golden age that has past, but you can create a new golden age.
You must make some assumptions, but try to make as few as reasonably possible.
Mystical teachings and traditions often have rational value hidden deep within them. Respect that value, but don't confuse it with its concealing layers of superstition and dogma.
More goes on in the universe than anyone understands.
Less goes on in the universe than many would have you believe.
Everyone has many good ideas. Value flows through those who invest the energy necessary to realize their best ideas.
Achieving anything of value requires a serious investment of effort.
Apply the highest skill you possess to whatever you do.
Don't lust for results-- continue to do the right things to achieve your aims, and remain objective and detached from the events along the way. Don't obsess on your eventual success or failure.
Quantify your progress towards your goals by taking regular, objective measurements of your position. Relate your continuing actions to how they affect your measurements.
Avoid the false dichotomy of "selfishness" and "selflessness": receiving happens as a direct and simultaneous consequence of giving freely. Acting in one's own enlightened self-interest produces benefits to others.
Receiving something unasked-for in no way obligates the receiver to reciprocate.
If you do someone a favor unasked, do not demand a show of their gratitude-- you may get it, but you will also earn their contempt.
Living involves suffering, but considerably less suffering if you understand that fact.
Live long, and die quick.
Remember to play and have fun.
No book contains all wisdom.

Most of the action on my site is now in my blog. I invite you to visit!