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Multum, Non Multa

IMG_0096  C. Plinius Caecilius Secundus  (61 – 114 A.D.), also known as Pliny the Younger, said "Multum, Non Multa."

Translated, it says, "Much, not many."

I am not sure what he meant by it or why he said it, after all, I'm no philologist. And, being as he's been dead a long time, I feel quite free in the following interpretation:

Quality, not quantity.

Think about how many applications this has to our modern, busy, frenzied, materialistic lives.

As applied to friendships.

As applied to possessions.

As applied to accomplishments.

We trade so much of ourselves for more, more, more, when instead we should likely be demanding better, better, better. 

One of my favorite sayings comes from the movie Hitch: "Life is not the amount of breaths you take, it's the moments that take your breath away."  Those moments are available to us all.  They exist in the gaps between the things we have scheduled, planned, organized, and orchestrated.  They occur in and around all the other events we trick ourselves into thinking are important.  Suddenly one of those little moments will occur; a hug, a cute question from a child, a warm compliment from a friend, an act of kindness from a stranger, a look of  honesty from an acquaintance, and like hearing an old song, we remember.

Let us not be so consumed with getting through that we let it all pass by.

Let us not be in such a hurry to get there that we don't experience what's here.

Let us not be so obsessed with making a living that we miss out on making a life.

Much, not many.

   

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6 responses to “Multum, Non Multa”

  1. Ian Pardington Avatar
    Ian Pardington

    amen brotha!

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  2. Zenon Berg Avatar
    Zenon Berg

    It took me a little pondering to figure out how you got “quality, not quantity” out of “much, not many”.
    Much -> Used for uncountably infinite quantities: too much water; too much sadness.
    Many -> Used for countably finite quantities: too many casualties, too many marbles.
    Quantity is countable, while quality is not. Although measurable (as “much” would be), it’s not countable. I think it was an ingenious leap, and I thank you for making it.
    I would also like to point out that there are those who believed (and still do) that “quantity has a quality all of it’s own”. I find that it’s generally faith that leads from the one mentality to the other.
    I would also argue that one cannot sustain one without the other. If you concentrate on the quality of one relationship and forsake all others, I don’t believe you are doing anyone a service. Even God wants us to have quantity in our lives.
    Alternatively he could have simply been making a grammatical correction. “You’re, not your”

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  3. bcampau Avatar
    bcampau

    This falls along the same lines as Paul Pilzer’s quantity demand vs quality demand. Eventually, people realize that quantity products won’t cut it, so they focus on the quality products.
    Quality eventually wins. Unfortunately, we have a limit on our lives, so it’s better to figure that out sooner than later!

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  4. Phyllis Hoff Avatar
    Phyllis Hoff

    Chris:
    This is so true. I remember that saying from “Hitch”. Awesome. We will miss out on so much if we don’t strive for quality. I know it is the little things that mean so much to me.
    Thanks again for all you do.
    God Bless.

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  5. Lynn Wright Avatar
    Lynn Wright

    How does one know when the Quality one seeks, attains a Quantity one desires? Are there not varying quantities of quality, And each, like a liquid, seeks it’s own level? Therefore we should be diligent and observant of the process inorder that the goal is attained. Which poses the question,is one ever satisfied at any particular degree of Quality? Or, is it a never ending quest to increase our Quantity of Quality?–www.wegodit4you.com (Quality Products) Made in USA

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  6. David H Nelson Avatar
    David H Nelson

    Hi Chris,
    quantity is a government thing.
    quality is a competition thing.
    “equal rights” is quantity.
    Individual rights is quality.
    Water is government = quantity.
    purified water is individual = quality.
    Walmart = quantity.
    Monavie = quality.
    taxation without representation =quantity
    Spending my money as I see fit=quality
    facebook is quantity
    Chris Brady on facebook =quality
    self belief as god is quantity
    Letting Jesus Christ lead you is quality.
    I got all this from “The Road to Serfdom”
    it’s on the TEAM booklist. You will change your views if you read it.
    SIncerely,
    Dave Nelson- TEAM RASCAL

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