By: Larry Lee

MauDreizehn 2 months, 2 weeks ago on Twitter

http://bit.ly/4U8byD Reading: The Virtuous Life: Silence

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jeffreybarwick 3 months, 2 weeks ago on Twitter

#fb Do not speak unless you can improve the silence. http://is.gd/4B8ac

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increase vertical 6 months ago on Wordpress

Great stuff, I consider myself a gentleman.

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Donna 1 year, 1 month ago on Wordpress

I am obviously a girl, but love the wisdom of your site. After a search on google, I stumbled onto your site, after coming across the word, moderation, in my bible reading, and wanting more insight into its meaning, so I could put it into practice. The Virtuous life has helped me a lot. The “gender” thing does not bother me; we are all human, after all. Who cares as long as it is helpful , right? My boss gave me some great advice once, “Don’t sweat the small stuff”

In regards to the cell phones, which I have grown to almost despise because of the constant interruptions in my life, when working and family just calls to say hi, because it is convenient, drives me crazy. Cell phones should not be used on demand.

Just because people have cell phones and no matter where they are or what they are doing, they are able to call a person anytime they want, does not mean the person on the other end can answer the phone on someone else whim. Please, use courtesy when calling other people constantly, just because you can. It is very annoying and rude to the other person, who has to answer every call, text, and sm because it could be a customer. Worse, when these calls go unanswered, the voice mails take up all the memory and important calls cannot get through.

Please , be considerate. Although cell phone use is convenient, its use should not be used flippantly, without regard to the respect of the person on the other end. Many people use their cell phone for both: work and family. ... See all content Hide content

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encryption 1 year, 4 months ago on Wordpress

Of course it’s true. Most of them doing the same thing again and again… but no one realizes till now

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indigoblue 1 year, 6 months ago on Wordpress

Good piece with some useful advice there

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arkanabar t'verrick ilarsadin 1 year, 8 months ago on Wordpress

@Deneteus on March 10th, 2008 5:53 pm: do you believe that human error is unacceptable? What about learning curves? What about breakdowns in equipment? I waited tables for years. The restaurant where I spent the most time gave the most difficult section to the most inexperienced server. This is normal. Good sections are rewards for demonstrated capability, loyalty, and experience, and dealing with a bad section demonstrates all three. Was it the green server’s fault that nobody wanted to sit by the bathroom until the rest of the nonsmoking section had filled up? Like a plate spinner, we depend on starting with the second table when the first has their drinks, the third when the first has their appetizers and the second their drinks, the fourth when the first has their entrees, the second their appetizers, and the third their drinks, and the fifth when the first has their desserts, the second their entrees, and so on. The cooks multitask in very much the same way. That section would get up to six tables of two to four people all at once, all expecting to get served simultaneously. It takes empathy, good people skills, and some uncommon knowledge to be able to stretch time differences of a few seconds in seating to as much as ten minutes in service.

Is it her fault if the ventilation hoods over the grill blew her order ticket off the rack and behind the stove? Or if the cook was a sexist pig who made her life crap because she had the sense to turn him down? Or if she didn’t know all the ins and outs of punching your remarkably complicated order into a point-of-sale terminal on her fourth day? Or if the three tables next to you send her on four trips for drinks — each — instead of just one?

The point of all these questions is this: if you can’t deal with problems in other people’s lives, and develop some tranquility, you make your own life much more difficult thereby. ... See all content Hide content

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Len 1 year, 10 months ago on Wordpress

Loved it. AoM is one of my favourite places to browse. One question about this piece: The intro mentions “Here are four areas in life…” and then I read about the Cell Phone, Customer Service, the Internet, and, er, … Did I miss one (or perhaps, did you)? I’d be happy to read more on this subject.

There are few things I find more annoying than to be speaking to someone when they take a cell phone call. Also when people conduct a cell phone call in a busy place. While I know I shouldn’t, I have occasionally joined in, offering advice on the part of the conversation I can hear (and often the volume is turned up sufficiently to hear the other side as well). For some reason people take offence at this, although I can’t think why – after all, they’re conducting an open conversation. Ph well, sometimes you just have to laugh. ... See all content Hide content

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Jeremy Neal 1 year, 10 months ago on Wordpress

Ben Franklin’s life is a timeless inspiration. You’re applications are right on, especially about the cell phone. It drives me nuts when people are talking to me and answer their cell phone. I always walk away when this happens, even if we were in the middle of something.

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