Death carries off a man busy picking flowers with an besotted mind, like a great flood does a sleeping village.
Gautama BuddhaRead
If a traveller does not meet with one who is his better, or his equal, let him firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with a fool.
Interpretation
What this quote means
It's better to travel alone than to be in poor company.
This quote suggests that one should value their own journey and remain solitary if they cannot find companions of equal wisdom or virtue. Spending time with those who do not contribute to your growth can hinder your path, so it's wiser to progress alone than to engage with those deemed foolish or inferior in mindset.
Themes
TravellerSolitaryCompanionshipFoolWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about personal growth.
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Make an island of yourself, make yourself your refuge; there is no other refuge. Make truth your island, make truth your refuge; there is no other refuge.
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When a wise man is advised of his errors, he will reflect on and improve his conduct. When his misconduct is pointed out, a foolish man will not only disregard the advice but rather repeat the same error.
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The tongue like a sharp knife ... Kills without drawing blood.
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