Les Brown on Religion and Hell

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Les Brown on Religion and Hell

I was watching a video of Les Brown just now and he said something worth quoting. I will embed the video below--there are actually 2--if anyone is interested in hearing this fascinating man be interviewed.

The quote deals with religion and spirituality, which I realize is seen with a lot of suspicion by atheists. However, I fully resonate with the spirit of what he said. I believe we could easily transpose this message to something more Rand-like. Before that, here is the quote:

Religious people are afraid of going to hell, and spiritual people have been there.

That hits around 8:49 in the first video.

So now for something formatted better for our neck of the woods.

How about this?

Dogmatic Objectivists are deathly afraid of being wrong, and independent thinkers interested in Objectivism have screwed up big-time and fixed it.

I know, I know. No rhythm. No brevity. It's kinda clunky. Not good for bouncing around the phonological loop in our brains, so it's hard to remember.

But it's off the top of my head, I don't have much time right now, and it rings true. Maybe I'll work on it someday and put a spit shine on it.

At least it's a hell of a lot better than another quote by Les Brown from the second video (around 3:06):

Life is like a roll of toilet tissue. The closer you get to the end, the faster it runs out.

Here are the videos. Les is being interviewed by Ariane de Bonvoisin for a program (or something) called "Change Nation."

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R312Lszc4b0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s6EmH-XmZEo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I watched this because I literally stumbled across it looking for something else. I had already heard of Les Brown, but I have never heard him speak. This was my first time.

You can bet that I will be looking at some of his other stuff.

Michael

[Rich Engle]

Les Brown on Religion and Hell

I was watching a video of Les Brown just now and he said something worth quoting. I will embed the video below--there are actually 2--if anyone is interested in hearing this fascinating man be interviewed.

The quote deals with religion and spirituality, which I realize is seen with a lot of suspicion by atheists. However, I fully resonate with the spirit of what he said. I believe we could easily transpose this message to something more Rand-like. Before that, here is the quote:

Religious people are afraid of going to hell, and spiritual people have been there.

That hits around 8:49 in the first video.

So now for something formatted better for our neck of the woods.

How about this?

Dogmatic Objectivists are deathly afraid of being wrong, and independent thinkers interested in Objectivism have screwed up big-time and fixed it.

I know, I know. No rhythm. No brevity. It's kinda clunky. Not good for bouncing around the phonological loop in our brains, so it's hard to remember.

But it's off the top of my head, I don't have much time right now, and it rings true. Maybe I'll work on it someday and put a spit shine on it.

At least it's a hell of a lot better than another quote by Les Brown from the second video (around 3:06):

Life is like a roll of toilet tissue. The closer you get to the end, the faster it runs out.

Here are the videos. Les is being interviewed by Ariane de Bonvoisin for a program (or something) called "Change Nation."

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/R312Lszc4b0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s6EmH-XmZEo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

I watched this because I literally stumbled across it looking for something else. I had already heard of Les Brown, but I have never heard him speak. This was my first time.

You can bet that I will be looking at some of his other stuff.

Michael

Oh, he's great. Nothing like a creative evangelist. Quote one has some truth to it. Although, not ALL. Some people actually come out spiritual and stay that way, but it is a minor percentage. William James talks about the once born and the twice born, something along that line it goes. Quote two he got from a very old joke book or heard in a bar, or something.

Essentially, he's talking about self-actualization, and I believe that is key. To be the man I never was.

I was so heavily immersed in this area. Zig, Robbins. I saw Les Brown do a keynote somewhere at one of these things, I forget where, maybe a Brian Tracy seminar or whatever, and he was a great icebreaker.

But there was a time when I had to break away from all this. My wife, too. Not long ago we took what was a HUGE library of motivational/self-improvement books and gave them away. I don't read any of this stuff any more and I never will.

He's full of life, that one.

Edited August 16, 2011 by Rich Engle