"Rather you should oil the skin and brush the hair of the one you like," answered the philosopher.
Another day a young scholar approached The Man Who Talked Backwards and asked him what books he should read, "For," the student said, "I realize that the more I read the more I will know."
"You will indeed learn something by reading," answered the philosopher, "but the more you read the less you will know. That is what makes reading of value."
"But how shall I know what beliefs I should hold in order to live the best life?" the young scholar asked.
"You think that your beliefs shape your actions," replied the philosopher, "but I tell you, it is your actions that shape your beliefs."
One day a woman came to the Man Who Talked Backwards for advice. "I know," she said, "that 'to live is to choose,' so I have come here to discover how I might fix my choices to live a fuller, more productive life."
"The better saying," said the philosopher, "is that 'to choose is to live.' But if you want to live life more fully, do less."
"Do less?" the woman asked with surprise. "But I'm an achiever. I thrive on accomplishment."
"Perhaps you have already diluted your life into meaninglessness," suggested the philosopher.
"But I'm easily bored," said the woman.