# What is your MANTRA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2003, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964 "2003-12-09T17:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/41 "2003-12-10T17:36:28Z")
“Is this worth fighting over?” “I’ve made more expensive mistakes than this.” “If you can choose between laughing and getting angry, laugh.” ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/42 "2003-12-10T18:26:19Z")
Act, don’t re-act. ---
**Author:** ![Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tastes_of_chocolate/32/3232_2.png) [@Tastes\_of\_Chocolate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tastes_of_Chocolate)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/43 "2003-12-10T18:56:12Z")
Life is to short to be easily insulted. If they are my friends, they don’t mean it. If they aren’t my friends, I don’t care. These are my friends, I don’t need to be afraid. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/44 "2003-12-10T19:51:05Z")
Durring the problem:“Nothing is Invincible” While beating the problem: “You’re so sly… But so am I.” ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/45 "2003-12-10T22:56:58Z")
Yes, this sucks…but one day, I will graduate and go on to better things. ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/46 "2003-12-10T23:03:48Z")
“It’s good to be me!” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/47 "2003-12-10T23:50:46Z")
This is not my locker! ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/48 "2003-12-11T00:06:50Z")
I’m a firecracker, not a candle. -orig. ---
**Author:** ![Kakofonous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e9a140/32.png) [@Kakofonous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kakofonous)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/49 "2003-12-11T00:23:08Z")
Everyone lives in their own reality. ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/50 "2003-12-11T00:41:59Z")
This reminds me of my additional commands (apologies to Moses and Yaweh): 1. Be as nice as you can. 2. Admit it when you’re wrong 3. Don’t talk about things you don’t know about. 4. Make sure of the directions I have a mantra, too, which I have had to chant many times, especially when teaching and tutoring: “Being dumb is not a character flaw”. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/51 "2003-12-11T00:48:11Z")
“Damn it! It’s not a third nipple - it’s a chicken-pox scar!” ---
**Author:** ![Mirasol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mirasol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mirasol)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/52 "2003-12-11T00:57:14Z")
Don’t sweat the small stuff. And most of it’s small stuff. But if it’s important, don’t back down for anything. Be true to yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/53 "2003-12-11T01:17:48Z")
I may be lost, but I’m making good time. and pocketa, pocketa, pocketa ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/54 "2003-12-11T03:35:04Z")
Every change, even for the better, is inconvenient – koeeoaddi, beta tester/support technician Better living through chemistry – koeeoaddi, migraineur ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/55 "2003-12-11T07:22:45Z")
“Fuck it!” ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/56 "2003-12-11T08:25:03Z")
“I extend compassion to all f\*\*\*ing miserable sentient creatures, including this damn loser!” ---
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/57 "2003-12-11T14:02:49Z")
I like yours, **Shoshana**. I think mine are: “The only wisdom we can hope to acquire/Is the wisdom of humility- humility is endless.” -Eliot and “Is it not written, “In my opinion, there’s a lot going on that we don’t know about”?” -Lu-tze ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/58 "2003-12-11T14:35:10Z")
It is what it is. and Mind your own business. ---
**Author:** ![krisolov](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/krisolov/32/3724_2.png) [@krisolov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krisolov)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/59 "2003-12-11T17:01:11Z")
Life is too short to be taken seriously this is not a dress rehearsal. any job that is worth doing is worth doing well ---
**Author:** ![mrklutz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@mrklutz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrklutz)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-mantra/217964/60 "2003-12-11T18:17:45Z")
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