I never was able to finish Moby-Dick. But I did read Billy Bubb, a rather tragic story of a young seaman being accused of something he didn't do, then inadvertently killing his accuser and subsequently being hanged. As for Melville the man, he had a quite a life, sailing to the Pacific on a whaling ship and living for a while among the "cannibals" on the Marquesas Islands.
We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men; and among those fibers, as sympathetic threads, our actions run as causes, and they come back to us as effects.
This is a beautiful statement. Certainly things I have done in my own life have come back to me transformed. Do you have an example of how your actions have come back to you?
Yes, if I think back, there's lots of times my actions have come back transformed in my life.
ReplyDeleteAnd sometimes I've been surprised because something I thought of as a throwaway action (that is, something that cost me very little to do) ended up having such a big impact on someone else's life that years later they came up to me and said they've never forgotten so-and-so I did.
Incidents like that make me realise how interconnected we are and how important it is for us to realise even the smallest action we take can act like an unexpected boomerang.
Judy (South Africa)
Oh I believe that everything I do comes back to me in some form as well as that all people are connected.
ReplyDeleteThis really was a lovely quote.
:-)
Oh, you make me feel good. I've never read Moby Dick either, but did read Billy Bubb. For an English major, my classic reading list is fairly deficient and I can't figure out why, because I always did my homework. Wonderful quote though. It took me a long time to get that my actions have impact, but I know when I hired people in my job as a recruitment manager I was helping to shape their lives. Now I just try to be postive and offer smiles and extra greetings, because I know that sometimes when people do that to me, it can switch a bad mood right into a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great quote.
ReplyDeleteBasically be unselfish and aware of those around you.
What goes around comes around!
Liza makes an excellent point about being positive and offering people lots of smiles and kind greetings. Those tiny kindnesses can makes someone's day.
ReplyDeleteAnd Kelly's absolutely right, be aware of other people and try not to be slefish. Kindness is almost always reciprocated.
great quote! I never heard it before but very true!
ReplyDeleteHe's quite the dashing Captain. ;) I think actions have consequences definitely things have come back transformed, I like to think of it as karma.
ReplyDeleteExcellent quote that all people should read. (He does look dashing, that's for sure.)
ReplyDeleteThings I've done in my life have definitely come back transformed. Actions speak louder than words which is really what we're talking about. What goes around comes around. If you treat people the way you want to be treated...
I love Melville and read Moby Dick. I have always wanted to read Billy Bubb. Will be checking it out next week. ;)
Oh gosh, yes. I've had some come bite me in the butt, big time. I'd like to think I've learned from them!
ReplyDeleteI also read Billy Budd but not Moby Dick.
ReplyDeleteGreat quote. When my day starts on the wrong foot I try to turn it around quick. Those negative thoughts have a way of branching off in all directions.
Ha, I'd not seen a pic of Melville before. He is quite a dashing fellow isn't he. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the quote!
ReplyDeleteYes. The things we do out of kindness aren't always reciprocated or appreciated, but it's still important that we did them. And when they DO have a positive impact, that's an incredibly good feeling.
ReplyDelete