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Spartan Surfers

1658-1725

Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani

Georgian prince, monk, diplomat and scholar who compiled the first Georgian dictionary. His Book of Wisdom and Lies is a frame tale of fables and maxims told to a young prince.

6 sourced lines

Every line we carry

Each one links to its source, what it means, and the shirt in any of our looks.

  1. A great stone is heavy until you set it rolling.

    The hardest part of any job is getting it moving. Once momentum takes over, the same weight feels light. Push through the first awful minutes of the workout, the essay, the paddle out; the rest goes easier.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), a proverb quoted in the frame story, Oliver Wardrop, 1894

  2. The axe wound healed. The word wound did not.

    A bear who was insulted asks his friend to hit him with an axe, then shows him a month later that the cut has healed and the insult has not. Words reach places blades cannot. Choose yours as carefully as you would a weapon.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), fable of the man and the bear, Oliver Wardrop, 1894

  3. Busy work beats sitting idle.

    Even small tasks keep the body and mind in motion, and motion leads somewhere. Sitting idle breeds worse things than trifles. On a flat day, do something small and useful rather than nothing.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), a proverb quoted in the frame story, Oliver Wardrop, 1894

  4. Show no sign of weakness among the insolent.

    Bullies test for softness and press wherever they find it. Calm firmness is usually enough to make them move on. You do not have to fight; just do not fold.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), five rules of worldly wisdom, Oliver Wardrop, 1894

  5. A poor man beats a bad rich man.

    Money in good hands does good; in bad hands it multiplies harm. What matters is the person holding it. Judge people by how they use what they have, not how much.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), Oliver Wardrop, 1894

  6. Three work in vain: the coward on watch, the mule breeder, the wind chaser.

    A guard who will not face danger, a breeder working with a sterile animal and a man chasing wind all labor hard for nothing. Effort only counts when it is aimed at something that can bear fruit. Check that your work can actually produce what you want.

    The Book of Wisdom and Lies (Wardrop 1894), maxims of Prince Djumber, Oliver Wardrop, 1894