I take this, as with everything on socials, with a grain of salt. I can’t say I’ve heard of this before but it does, in fact, sound like Kirby Smartisms. Maybe it’s an amalgam of various things he’s said throughout his years in Athens.
That’s quite the list.
Personally, I’ve always liked the mantra (from Hunter S. Thompson, but probably from others, as well): “anything worth doing, it’s worth doing right”.
I like it. I also like “better to be thought a fool and remain silent than to speak and remove all doubt.”
What truism or code guides your day to day?
Feel free to share with the class, we can all learn a thing or two, even at our ripe old ages.
No good deed goes unpunished.
I work in a manufacturing facility in the reliability department. My favorite of all time is “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” If I could only tech the trade school engineers we hire to adhere to it, I’d be a less grouchy man.
The Japanese say, “If it isn’t perfect, keep working on it”
Ours at the facility I work at is often times “The left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing”.
There are only two ways home:
Victory or death.
My grandfather, a carpenter, said that the Secret of Life is this: “Cut away from yourself, and you will always be happy.”
His brother, my great uncle and a carpenter as well, lived by this (attributed by some to Winston Churchill): “Never stand when you can sit, never sit when you can lie down, and never pass up an opportunity to go to the bathroom.”
“Never pass up a chance to have sex or appear on television.”
Gore Vidal
Measure twice, cut once
I’d rather have it & not need it,
Than need it & not have it.
That’s the code I’ve always had for camping and river canoe trips.
“If you don’t have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have”….
“Delegation is the key to success.” Write that down for me…
Nobody ever got in trouble by keeping their fucking mouth shut.
-my old man
All too often I prefer trouble.
You’ve never met my soon to be ex-wife. It is a good strategy until she does the talking for you, which is way worse.
“Wish in one hand, shit in the other. See which one gets filled first”
– my grandma
“Once a Dawg, always a Dawg, how sweet it is”……
Don’t let the door hit’ya where the Good Lord split’ya.
(works on so many levels)
The harder I work the luckier I get
If you don’t have time to do it right, do you have time to do it over?
He who expects nothing is never disappointed.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
Think you can. Think you can’t. You’re right either way.
Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. 14th Dalai Lama
Also THINK when on the internet, is it true, is it helpful, is it inspiring, is it necessary and last is it kind?
Never go camping with a man who drinks whiskey sours.
That is a good one for sure…lol.
Being poor doesn’t make you dumb. Being dumb will make you poor.
Who is AJ? Only one he left off is “Keep Choppin”-what we do in every aspect of effort, no matter what the circumstances, we never, ever give up & keep choppin that wood!
Some of my personal maxims in business & life (not necessarily grammatically perfect):
You get what you pay for.
Measure twice, cut once.
Character is what you are when no else is looking.
You’re only as strong as your weakest link.
Belt & suspenders.
Take pride in your work, but don’t be prideful.
Fast pay makes fast friends.
Stay humble/never forget where you came from.
Always put others before yourself.
Feed your dogs before you feed yourself.
Measure twice, cut once. And it helps to always have an extra board, just in case. If you need an extra one after the extra one, stop and let the experts handle it.
A few more good’uns:
God is in the details.
TEAM me.
The difference between good and great is less than you realize.
So many things in life are all about the ratio!
Also going to add another one that’s resonated with me a lot lately, “you’ve gotta go through it to get through it”. Damn straight.
More of a private/personal message type thing, but I’m sure I can speak for the crowd in saying; so sorry to hear of your divorce buddy. I figured something was up. Been there and done that and it ain’t no fun, but I made it through to the other side.
Only advice I can give you is maintain your integrity, know your numbers and keep your children first. I’m sure you will do all of these things as you are a good man. Good luck and Godspeed.
Doing all of the above, to the extent I can. It’ll work out, and thanks!
This too shall pass. Seriously, it does.
“Work smarter, not harder.” Inefficiency makes my head hurt.
1) Don’t sweat the small stuff
2) It’s all small stuff
(Don’t think this is on Kirby’s list. LOL)
Luck is defined as opportunity and preparation coming together.
Can’t and never could.
One my Dad told me that I never completely abided by – “Don’t stick your d**k in crazy.”
As they say, P is undefeated. Lord the costly mistakes we make.
Nothing f-cks like crazy.
Does it need to be said?
Does it need to be said now?
Does it need to be said by me?
If the answer to all three is not yes…
As Yogi said relative to directions to his home, “When you come to the fork in the road, take it”
From Jethro on NCIS
If you’ve ever watched *NCIS*, you know that Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs lives by a strict, numbered code of ethics and survival. While he claims there are about 50, many numbers remain a mystery or have changed over the years.
Here is the definitive list of **Gibbs’ Rules**, categorized by how they help him (and his team) navigate the world of federal investigation.
## The Core Essentials
These are the rules Gibbs references most frequently—the bread and butter of being a field agent.
* **Rule #1:** Never let suspects stay together.
* **Rule #1 (Alternate):** Never screw over your partner.
* **Rule #2:** Always wear gloves at a crime scene.
* **Rule #3:** Don’t believe what you’re told. Double-check.
* **Rule #3 (Alternate):** Never be unreachable.
* **Rule #4:** The best way to keep a secret? Keep it to yourself. Second best? Tell one other person—if you must. There is no third best.
* **Rule #6:** Never say you’re sorry. (Gibbs views it as a sign of weakness between agents).
* **Rule #7:** Always be specific when you lie.
* **Rule #8:** Never take anything for granted.
* **Rule #9:** Never go anywhere without a knife.
## Investigation & Survival
These rules focus on the “street smarts” of the job and staying alive in the field.
* **Rule #10:** Never get personally involved in a case. (Note: This is the rule Gibbs breaks the most).
* **Rule #11:** When the job is done, walk away.
* **Rule #12:** Never date a coworker.
* **Rule #15:** Always work as a team.
* **Rule #16:** If someone thinks they have the upper hand, break it.
* **Rule #18:** It’s better to seek forgiveness than ask permission.
* **Rule #20:** Always look under.
* **Rule #22:** Never, ever bother Gibbs in interrogation.
* **Rule #23:** Never mess with a Marine’s coffee if you want to live.
## The “Deep” Rules
Toward the later seasons, we saw rules that were more personal or philosophical.
| Rule # | The Mandate |
|—|—|
| **Rule #27** | There are two ways to follow someone. First way, they never notice you. Second way, they only notice you. |
| **Rule #35** | Always watch the watchers. |
| **Rule #36** | If it feels like you’re being played, you probably are. |
| **Rule #38** | Your case, your lead. |
| **Rule #39** | There is no such thing as a coincidence. |
| **Rule #40** | If it seems like someone is out to get you, they are. |
| **Rule #42** | Don’t ever accept an apology from someone who just sucker-punched you. |
| **Rule #44** | First things first, hide the women and children. |
| **Rule #45** | Left a mess I gotta clean up. (Referring to internal cleanup). |
| **Rule #51** | Sometimes you’re wrong. |
## The Final Rules
The later seasons introduced rules that signaled a shift in Gibbs’ perspective on life and legacy.
* **Rule #62:** Always give people space when they get off the elevator.
* **Rule #69:** Never trust a woman who doesn’t trust her man.
* **Rule #73:** Never meet your heroes.
* **Rule #91:** When you decide to leave, don’t look back.
* **Rule #99:** Never tell Gibbs he’s managed by the rules.
> **Fun Fact:** Gibbs actually burned the slip of paper containing **Rule #10** (*Never get personally involved*) in Season 16, signifying his growth and the realization that his team is his family.
>
You can have it done well, done cheap or done fast. Pick any two.
I’m saving that one.
Dan Goldin was the NASA administrator in the early 90’s. He came in with the “Faster. Better. Cheaper” mantra. We’d say choose two.
Occasionally heard at work, “Can’t separate them all.”
These have got me this far, so here we go:
Never bet large sums of money against Barry Sanders.
Chilled shots are for sissies.
Always buy the expensive toilet paper.
If she sleeps with you on the first date, she can never meet you mother.
Anytime you have a needle shoved inside your knee socket, treat yourself to a whiskey drink immediately after.
Perfect is the enemy of great.
After 50: Never waste a boner. Don’t trust a fart.
Never get less than 12 hours of sleep.
Never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city.
Never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.
Stick to that and the rest is cream cheese.
It’s a lot easier to stay out of trouble than to get out of trouble.
Never interrupt your opponent when they’re making a mistake.
Nothing good happens after midnight.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Proper manners is never out of style.
Dress better than your customer.
Only your dog truly loves you and that’s just at dinner time.