Saturday, April 09, 2005

I'm with everyone who believes that you shouldn't waste time on Bullshit.

The question is, what's Bullshit?

The answer to that question is a contextual one: What is the product or service you're offering?

I wish I had a magic answer for everyone for all time, but the fact is that you have to ask yourself that question every time you present your customer with your product.

Will they be happy with it? Will they come back to you and pay you again for your services?

Will they pay you enough to make it worth your while?
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I find my own answers. And I find it helpful to continuously consider three passages in the Bible:

1. The Tenth Commandment (a link to everything an honest person needs to know, at minimum, from the Bible):
"You shall not covet your neighbor's wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor's house or land, his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."


2. The Beatitudes, which I believe are Jesus' stock sermon - the one that he told to people himself, which it was fully possible they would die without hearing anything more of Christian teaching. From Matthew, chapter 5:
3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

And, finally, The Fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5:22, 23:
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and selfcontrol. Against such things there is no law.

And often one must think of that great passage, taught to every soldier going to combat, the twenty third Psalm.

Meditate on these things and you will be a great soul.

Update: I fixed my typo: "shouldn't" not "should". It makes a difference.

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