Website owner: James Miller
A debt I owe to my father
It has just occurred to me that there is something about my character that I probably owe to my father, to the way he raised me. It is a thing that I had never thought about before. It seemed to be agreed between my father and mother that Father would be in charge of the raising of my brother and I and my mother would be in charge of raising my sister. My father was a very strong person and hard worker. And he wanted his boys to grow up to be men and not sissies. (He would have had no good opinion of a son who was a sissy.) And he wanted his sons to grow up knowing how to work. He started me off working on our farm at an age of about six. I am thinking that I owe something very important to him for this way I was raised. He was always fair with me. I can’t accuse him of ever being unreasonable or unfair with me. But he expected his boys to work. He was authoritarian and I would not have dared to disobey him. I did what he told me. My mother, on the other hand, was a kind, soft, understanding person. But she was not the sort who would have forced her child to work. She was perhaps too soft and understanding in this regard, the sort who would have made excuses for them for not working. She didn’t demand enough. My Father demanded a lot. By demanding a lot, he gave me a habit of being accustomed to working, to industriousness. It became a character trait. He trained me to be a man and men have courage, strength of character, will power.
I have noted that the children of orientals in this country all seem to become doctors, lawyers, or some other professional while the children of American parents all become waiters and waitresses. See Oriental children become doctors while American children become waiters . I believe the reason lies completely in the way they are raised. Oriental parents raise their children to study hard. They start forming their children’s mind and character in this way from an early age.
Def. Industriousness. Constantly, regularly, or habitually active or occupied
Def. Will power. Ability to control oneself; determination; strength or firmness of mind.
Syn. continence, restraint, self-command, self-containment, self-control, self-discipline, self-government, self-mastery, self-possession, self-restraint, will
19 Sept 2021
Jesus Christ and His Teachings
Way of enlightenment, wisdom, and understanding
America, a corrupt, depraved, shameless country
On integrity and the lack of it
The test of a person's Christianity is what he is
Ninety five percent of the problems that most people have come from personal foolishness
Liberalism, socialism and the modern welfare state
The desire to harm, a motivation for conduct
On Self-sufficient Country Living, Homesteading
Topically Arranged Proverbs, Precepts, Quotations. Common Sayings. Poor Richard's Almanac.
Theory on the Formation of Character
People are like radio tuners --- they pick out and listen to one wavelength and ignore the rest
Cause of Character Traits --- According to Aristotle
We are what we eat --- living under the discipline of a diet
Avoiding problems and trouble in life
Role of habit in formation of character
Personal attributes of the true Christian
What determines a person's character?
Love of God and love of virtue are closely united
Intellectual disparities among people and the power in good habits
Tools of Satan. Tactics and Tricks used by the Devil.
The Natural Way -- The Unnatural Way
Wisdom, Reason and Virtue are closely related
Knowledge is one thing, wisdom is another
My views on Christianity in America
The most important thing in life is understanding
We are all examples --- for good or for bad
Television --- spiritual poison
The Prime Mover that decides "What We Are"
Where do our outlooks, attitudes and values come from?
Sin is serious business. The punishment for it is real. Hell is real.
Self-imposed discipline and regimentation
Achieving happiness in life --- a matter of the right strategies
Self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline basic to so much in life