We thought it would be fun and interesting to start up a brand new thread devoted exclusively to ancient Sicilian proverbs and life lessons taught to young mafiosi as they were coming up, as well as centuries old Chinese proverbs and other classic time-honored sayings and observations.

Through the centuries, wisemen (and wiseguys alike) have been conveying their thoughts and opinions about life’s experiences. Generation after generation, elders taught their young family members and loyal disciples these poignant phrases, which were designed to enlighten their students about man’s frailties, his vices and failings, as well as the human condition in general.

So, starting today, ButtonGuys will periodically post to ‘Wiseguy Wisdom Corner,’ and feature one or two time-honored proverbs and life lessons for your enjoyment.

Icons such as our very own 'Don' Calogero, Confucious, and others will share their age-old wisdom and advice with you.

We hope you enjoy these little gems just as much as we do. And who knows, maybe you too, will take away something beneficial from them.

And don’t forget to revisit this thread regularly to get your regular dose of ‘wiseguy wisdom’
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For BG's very first proverb, 'Don' Calogero offers some sage advice...

[Translated from Italian] "My son, please remember, that there will always be certain people who will try to rain on your parade, simply because they're jealous of your sunshine, and so very tired of their shade!"

Proverb of the day...

Confucious say, "Often, those who criticize others, unwittingly reveal, what they themselves lack"

+1

Heres one Macedonian wisdom but its tough to explain in it in english but still ill try...

"Do not throw stones at the feces, because you'll get shit staines all over your clothes"

This means ignore all provocateurs and retards, because if you dont, you might fall down on their level

...heres another one...this time its Chinese...

"Better a diamond with a flaw, than a pebble without one"

Cheers

I like that one in particular...very poignant

Same thoughts here.

Confucious say...

'Behind every successful person lies a pack of haters. But they, in turn, should not be hated. To the contrary, one should bask in them...because their actions show you are successful"

“Those who project joy to others, receive joy in reward" - Confucious
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AND THE LAST PROVERB FOR THE EVENING...


“There are three ways to achieve ultimate success: The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.”


WISE WORDS TO LIVE BY...

An old Italian proverb....
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[Translated from Sicilian]

"Don Calogero" taught his beloved son Vito many life lessons. But one of the most important, that Vito always remembered, was this gem from his father's mouth,

"Figlio mio, listen to me. There will always be haters. And the more you grow successful, the more they hate. And the more they hate, the more successful you grow!"

Wise words for certain people to contemplate, no?

Confucius say...

"Haters are like little crickets. Crickets make a lot of noise, so will you hear them, but you never see them. Then, just when you get up close to them, they suddenly get real quiet."

Ain't that the truth!

This evening, 'Don' Calogero offers up a bit of mafioso-styled wisdom for the forum. He advises "Figlio mio, always remember that...

"Virtue, hard work and sincerity always comes to you proudly wearing a see-through veil. While vice, jealousy and duplicity always comes to you hiding behind a mask!"

Good one. Ill remember this one. Cheers

Why, thank you TD. (and I suspect that a lot of other people will too)

Like the guy said, "They hate ya, cause they ain't ya!" - it's really that simply.

“Talent wins games. But teamwork and intelligence win championships.” — Michael Jordan

“If you’re not generating positive energy, then you’re generating negative energy.” - multimillionaire businessman and public figure Mark Cuban

In Sicilian, we say, "A gilusia e' na brutta bestia."

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Concordo Carmela. Ma sfortunatamente, per alcune della disgrazie, la gelosia e l'invidia sono tutto ciò' che conoscono

Confucious say..."Enjoy and revel in your haters, because they're the ones who realize you are better than them!"

Here's another good ancient proverb....

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend"

Yes, I've heard that one before. And I agree, its a very good proverb (an oh so true, lol)

Old French proverb:
A fool will always find a bigger fool to admire him.

How true is that? Lol

Good one Lou!

Heres one Italian...

"Traduttore, traditore"

A few words of inspiration for a quiet Sunday evening...
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"Be so good at what you do, that they simply can't ignore you!"

Confucious say...

"Wish all your enemies and would-be detractors a very long life so they can witness all your success and happiness along the way!"

...and on that note, Confucious also say...

"Strive to be the one who builds a bridge of friendship and understanding, not one known for deepening the river and divide!"

"Don" Calogero, the wily old Sicilian consigliere, advises...

"If you become skillful enough at building bridges, you will never fall into the abyss."