1998 Motto Contest Results
"Change an old motto,

into a new motto."

Examples:
Old: "Polly wants a cracker!"
New: "Polly wants a motto!"
or
"Where there's a will there's a way."
could become:

but not
Old: "Where there's a will there's a way."
New: "Polly wants a new set of feathers."
The old motto root must be identifiable in your new motto!
Motto Warning: About the Prudent Use of Mottos (click here).
Winner of 50 Buttons

(Old Motto):

Where ignorance is bliss,
'tis folly to be wise.

(New Motto)

Where ignorance is bliss,
'tis wise to pay attention.

Travis Plummer
Norfolk, Nebraska, U.S.A

based upon

 A Distant Prospect of Eton College: Stanza 10
by Thomas Gray (1716-1771)

To each his suff'rings; all are men,
Condemn'd alike to groan.
The tender for another's pain,
Th' unfeeling for his own.
Yet, ah! why should they know their fate,
Since sorrow never comes too late,
And happiness too swiftly flies?
Thought would destroy their paradise.
No more; where ignorance is bliss,
'Tis folly to be wise.
The Prudent Use of Mottos
A Poem: Mottomania
Once there was a man named Otto,
Who couldn't think without a motto.
Does "absence make my heart grow fonder",
or is "out of sight, out of mind", I wonder?

Well chosen and moderately used mottos
can be useful tools for remembering,
recalling and learning important ideas in your life.
While useful mottos exist for many occasions,
a poorly chosen motto can be harmful to your health.
Motto Tips
Before accepting a motto, check it out.
Is it logical?
Does it appeal to you?
When, if ever, does it apply to you?
What are its limits?
Appropriately match your motto to a chosen objective.
Don't let mottos in general, or any one motto, become too important!
And, remember, mottos can strongly impact kids. Be careful!
Fiction: The Story of Peter P. Perfect
For reasons that he didn't understand,
Peter was a personal perfectionist.
His favorite motto,
the one his dad had repeated most often, was
"Practice Makes Perfect".
Unfortunately, this motto eventually resulted in self torture,
since personal perfection, like the horizon, seemed always out of reach.

After enough self torture and some deep thoughts and feelings,
Peter changed his motto to:
"Practice makes perfect" was dad's favorite call.
But "it only makes better, if it matters at all."
He also changed his name to Peter Perfekt.
He has gradually moderated his perfectionistic extremism,
but realizes that he'll never become perfect at moderating.

Costas Hercules, M.D.
rev.7/31/99