E.E. Cummings

To be nobody but myself -- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else -- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting. -E.E. Cummings, poet (1894-1962)

This deserves some pondering. I would agree that the world around us is indeed doing its best to form us into a shape that suits its purposes, and that we should resist, and that resistance requires diligent effort. But I wonder about the implications of the stated ideal, "to be nobody but myself"? In a superficial sense, of course, I can't really be anyone but myself, but Cummings is aiming at something deeper. Do I really want to be merely myself? Isn't there anything higher to strive for?

John Milton, poet

Who overcomes by force hath overcome but half his foe. -John Milton, poet (1608-1674)

Would that it were always so, but I think that in fact it is only true if the one conquered by force is of a certain strong character. I am afraid, though, that in our time at least many men do not have it within them to remain unconquered in their minds, hearts, and spirits once they have been subdued by external force. For example, in Nazi Europe the Resistance grew up in many places, but there were also many collaborators.

Robert Blatchford, author

Religions are not revealed: they are evolved. If a religion were revealed by God, that religion would be perfect in whole and in part, and would be as perfect at the first moment of its revelation as after ten thousand years of practice. There has never been a religion that which fulfills those conditions. -Robert Blatchford, author (1851-1943)

There are several logical problems in this statement. One problem is that it assumes that the revelation must be complete all at once. Some religions may claim such revelation, but Christianity at least does not. Another difficulty is that only way to determine whether a given religion is "perfect in whole and in part" is see it expressed in some human way, and human expressions are always faulty, in word or deed.

Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680)

Some people with great virtues are disagreeable, while others with great vices are delightful. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680)

Some people with great vices may be delightful on a superficial level, but if you have to relate to them on any level of depth, or have to depend on them in any significant matter, I think you will find them anything but delightful.

Adam Smith, economist

What can be added to the happiness of a man who is in health, out of debt, and has a clear conscience? -Adam Smith, economist (1723-1790)

As long as Smith includes right relationship with God as part of a clear conscience, which he certainly should, I would agree with him.

Marvin Kitman, author and media critic

A coward is a hero with a wife, kids, and a mortgage. -Marvin Kitman, author and media critic (b. 1929)

Really, a hero is a man with a wife, kids, and mortgage who nevertheless does the right thing in difficult circumstances.

A. A. Milne

"The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking." -- A. A. Milne

I like what he says about the third-rate mind and the second-rate mind. Perhaps I'm not subtle enough, but I don't understand the point about the first-rate mind. It would make more sense to me if it said something like, "The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking independently." Or maybe "The first-rate mind is happy whenever it is thinking."

Maury Maverick, attorney and congressman

Democracy, to me, is liberty plus economic security. -Maury Maverick, attorney and congressman (1895-1954)

This seems to me a very odd formulation. Economic security is a good thing no doubt, and severe economic insecurity has historically been a danger to democracy, but to include it in the definition of democracy can confuse discussion of policy. It is possible to have democracy without economic security and it is possible to have economic security without democracy. The latter choice is sometimes a serious temptation, which should be resisted.

Herbert J. Muller, educator, historian, and author

The doctrine of the material efficacy of prayer reduces the Creator to a cosmic bellhop of a not very bright or reliable kind. -Herbert J. Muller, educator, historian, and author (1905-1980)

I've never heard of the "doctrine of the material efficacy of prayer," but I get the gist of his opinion. Like many of God's detractors, he clearly hadn't studied his subject. Many people of great intelligence have studied prayer and written profoundly about it, but I don't think Muller ever read any of them. Many, it is true, though not all, wrote before Muller was born, which probably disqualified them in his mind.

Jules Renard, writer

I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if he didn't. -Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)
I think M. Renard was trying to be clever and profound, but he merely succeeded in being cute.

William James, psychologist and philosopher

Whenever two people meet, there are really six people present. There is each man as he sees himself, each man as the other person sees him, and each man as he really is. -William James, psychologist and philosopher (1842-1910)

I believe that this is true. Now, what should we draw from it? How should it affect our behavior? I wonder what James had to say about it.

Laurence J. Peter, educator and author

The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (1919-1990)
 
A clever aphorism, but I object to the accusation that outspoken patriots always disregard the true values of the country. Patriots are not always hypocrites.

George Bernard Shaw

"A perpetual holiday is a good working definition of hell." – George Bernard Shaw

I have to say that I don't get it! To me, a holiday means more social time, more time to be with loved ones, which quite literally sounds like heaven to me. Is this just Shaw demonstrating that he is a misanthropist?

Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (1741-1794)

Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (1741-1794)

A wonderful metaphor, and isn't it a great thing that the dog barks! It keeps us out of a lot of trouble.

Herbert Weisinger, theologian

"It takes faith to believe, and it takes courage not to, and who is to say which is the deeper and more truthful?" – Herbert Weisinger, theologian

This seems like an odd assertion, though perhaps the original context would make it less so. Whether it makes sense or not, it seems to me, depends on what is the object of the believing.  For example, I believe that my wife is faithful. Does it take faith to believe in this? Does it make any sense to say that it would take courage for me not to believe?

Given Weisinger's profession, however, one would suspect that the object of the belief in this case is God.  I think everyone would agree that it takes faith to believe in God. Certainly Christians believe that it does, and, further, that God has to supply the faith as a gift. But does it take courage not to believe in God? I would say that in general it doesn't. I think that most people who don't believe found it easier to go that way than to go the way of faith. For an action to require courage means that there is some kind of opposition to overcome, either internal or external. In our modern society there is very little opposition to the atheist or agnostic viewpoint. But on the other hand, if one is wrestling internally with the question of belief in God, refusing the path of belief is a sad choice. And I think a rare one.

Benjamin Franklin

Many a long dispute among divines may be thus abridged: It is so. It is not so. It is so. It is not so. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790)

And not just among divines. Politicians debate in the same manner very often, as do children of all ages. When my children were growing up I often had to intervene in an argument, to save my sanity if for no other reason, and point out that they were disputing about a simple matter of fact. If it was possible to check on the fact, they should do so. If it wasn't, they should realize that further argument was a waste of energy. Yelling louder or pushing harder was not the way to prove that you were right.

Andrew Young, author, civil rights activist, US congressman, mayor, and UN ambassador

Nothing is illegal if one hundred businessmen decide to do it. -Andrew Young, author, civil rights activist, US congressman, mayor, and UN ambassador (b. 1932)

I think this is a slander against our society. It simply isn't true.

Taking a cue from Mr. Young, I propose this aphorism, which he wouldn't like, and also isn't true: Anything is racism if two activists say so. 

Lois McMaster Bujold, writer

If the truth doesn't save us, what does that say about us? -Lois McMaster Bujold, writer (1949- )

A very good question, or rather, two very good questions. Does the truth save us? No. Rather, it makes clear that we desperately need to be saved, which is the answer to the second question.

Peter F. Drucker

"There is nothing so useless as doing efficiently that which should not be done at all." -- Peter F. Drucker

Is it more useless to do it efficiently than to do it inefficiently?  Yes, because attaining efficiency in anything requires extra effort.

Denis Waitley, productivity consultant

"Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer." -- Denis Waitley

It is true that getting mired in the past is not good and that moving ahead is important, but it is also important to learn from your mistakes. It is necessary often to determine the root cause of the failure even before deciding what to do next.

Abraham H. Maslow, Psychologist

"If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail." -- Abraham H. Maslow

I see this demonstrated a lot in the workplace, and it is the reason multi-functional teams can be so valuable in problem-solving.

H. L. Hunt

"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." -- H. L. Hunt

But taking a hint from Roger Martin in The Opposable Mind, don't decide too quickly that you inevitably have to exchange something. You may not be in a zero-sum game.

Aldous Huxley, novelist

So long as men worship the Caesars and Napoleons, Caesars and Napoleons will duly rise and make them miserable. -Aldous Huxley, novelist (1894-1963)

And it doesn't have to be worship in the full sense. The Caesars were eventually considered gods, whereas Napoleon never was. However, many people thought Napoleon could do no wrong, which is effectively the same thing, and eventually he rose to make the world miserable.

Don McClanen, Christian activist, founder of Fellowship of Christian Athletes

Pleonexia is an insatiable need for more of what I already have, and it has penetrated our culture to the point where people are angry at the poor. Don McClanen, Christian activist, founder of Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

I would like to learn more about this. I agree that pleonexia is epidemic in our society, but I would like to hear his thoughts about how it results in hatred of the poor.

Vic Gold

"The squeaking wheel doesn't always get the grease. Sometimes it gets replaced." -- Vic Gold

As it often should. Sometimes the wheel squeaks all the time because it's lost its bearings.

H. L. Mencken

"The trouble with fighting for human freedom is that one spends most of one's time defending scoundrels. For it is against scoundrels that oppressive laws are first aimed, and oppression must be stopped at the beginning if it is to be stopped at all." -- H. L. Mencken

The principle that we must follow is that the end doesn't justify the means. An oppressive law, meaning a truly unjust law, is not an acceptable weapon even against evil men.

Paul Sweeney

How can a society that exists on instant mashed potatoes, packaged cake mixes, frozen dinners, and instant cameras teach patience to its young? -Paul Sweeney

I'm afraid that the situation is worse even than this rhetorical question implies. My fear is that our society doesn't think that there is any need to teach the young patience. The general opinion, it seems to me, is "Who needs patience?"

Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. general and 34th president

Though force can protect in emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, U.S. general and 34th president (1890-1969)

And only repentance and faith can enable fallen men, i.e., all men, to practice justice, fairness, consideration, and cooperation. And repentance and faith must be followed by discipleship and continual struggle against evil.

Aleister Crowley, author

The conscience of the world is so guilty that it always assumes that people who investigate heresies must be heretics; just as if a doctor who studies leprosy must be a leper. Indeed, it is only recently that science has been allowed to study anything without reproach. -Aleister Crowley, author (1875-1947)

I think that Crowley is mistaken on two counts. First, I don't believe that the world assumes that people who investigate heresies are heretics. I don't, and I haven't found that people in general do. In fact many would argue the opposite, that in general people are rather more gullible than cynical in regard to heresy-hunters. Secondly, I think that science has had a rather free hand for most of its relatively short life, although the current period seems increasingly marked by attempts by some scientists to quash certain lines of inquiry that threaten the accepted scientific orthodoxy.

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Hugh Macleod, advertising executive

Anyone can be an idealist. Anyone can be a cynic. The hard part lies somewhere in the middle i.e. being human. -- Hugh Macleod, "How To Be Creative"

I agree that it is hard to find the right point of balance on that continuum, but I wouldn't equate that one point with being human. I would agree that the extremes are beyond what I would call human, but there is a large range that qualifies as human.

Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author

Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

I guess it reveals my prejudice against Thoreau that I agree with this aphorism but wonder about the writer's real commitment to truth. Love, money, and fame may not have had much attraction for him, but I suspect that his own opinions were more important to him than truth.

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George Orwell

Serious sport has nothing to do with fair play. It is bound up with hatred, jealousy, boastfulness, disregard of all rules and sadistic pleasure in witnessing violence. In other words, it is war minus the shooting. -George Orwell, writer (1903-1950)

Sad to say, I am afraid that Orwell is right, except that I don't think violence plays much part in some sports, like tennis.

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Eleanor Hamilton

"A compliment is a gift, not to be thrown away carelessly, unless you want to hurt the giver." -- Eleanor Hamilton

In other words, if someone pays you a compliment, don't just shrug it off, but acknowledge it with thanks. Otherwise you may offend the giver of the compliment.

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George Santayana, philosopher

To delight in war is a merit in the soldier, a dangerous quality in the captain, and a positive crime in the statesman. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952)

I agree with two out of three, but I don't think anyone, even a soldier, should delight in war. I would agree rather that for a soldier to delight in battle is probably a good thing.

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Norman Douglas, novelist

You can tell the ideals of a nation by its advertisements. -Norman Douglas, novelist (1868-1952)

Scary as it is, I suspect this is true. But advertising is a relatively recent development, so it is really hard to say how true it is, viewed longitudinally. On the other hand, it would be very interesting to compare advertising around the world over the last few decades to see if it reveals, as some contend, a growing homogenization of culture.

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Pablo Picasso

"Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." – Pablo Picasso

Answers, of course, are very useful, but only if the right questions are asked.

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George Bernard Shaw

"The power of accurate observation is commonly called cynicism by those who have not got it." -- George Bernard Shaw

THIS DESERVES A DIATRIBE! Well, perhaps not a diatribe, but definitely a denunciation. Cynicism is the habit of mind that is, according to The American Heritage Dictionary, "scornful of the motives or virtue of others; bitterly mocking; scornful." To claim that such an attitude is simply accurate is simply false, and, it seems to me, to reveal a sadly proud heart.

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Christopher Morley, writer

Lots of times you have to pretend to join a parade in which you're not really interested in order to get where you're going. -Christopher Morley, writer (1890-1957)

This doesn't sound like a good idea. Insincerity comes at a cost, greater or less depending on how near your core values it comes. What would cause you to such a course other than plain ambition? Another motivation that comes to mind, perhaps revealing too much exposure to romantic movies, is the desire to get to know another person.

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William Feather, author, editor and publisher

One of the indictments of civilizations is that happiness and intelligence are so rarely found in the same person. - William Feather, author, editor and publisher (1889-1981)

I wonder why he thinks so? Perhaps he believes that cynicism is the same as intelligence, or at least a necessary concomitant. I strongly disagree.

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Rollo May, psychologist

It is an ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way. -Rollo May, psychologist (1909-1994)

I think we run faster when we panic, and we tend to panic when we have lost our way. The best improvement would be to learn to pause and look around when we have lost our way.

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Douglas Adams

"Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so." -- Douglas Adams

I believe this is an opinion expressed by Marvin, Adams' depressed, misanthropic robot in H2G2, but it seems to be true nonetheless.

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Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator

It has always seemed absurd to suppose that a god would choose for his companions, during all eternity, the dear souls whose highest and only ambition is to obey. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899)

It is evident that Mr. Ingersoll didn't know the true God, but only was acquainted with some false representations, of which there are many abroad in the world, in his "Golden Age of Freethought" as in our own. Goodness is attractive, and as God is infinitely good, he is infinitely attractive. God is completely loving and incapable of any evil, so obedience to him is the only reasonable way to live.

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M. Scott Peck, psychiatrist and author

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers. -M. Scott Peck, psychiatrist and author (1936-2005)

It seems that Dr. Peck defines "our finest moments" as the times when we "are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers." The first question then is whether that is the right definition. If we say yes, then the question becomes whether it is true that those moments "are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled." Regarding the first, I would say that stepping out of our ruts and searching for different ways or truer answers is sometimes a very fine thing, but it is not so by definition. Sometimes our ruts are the very best place to be and our current ways and guides to life are just what they should be. Change is not always a good thing. Further, I would agree that psychological discomfort very often leads to efforts toward change, but again, this is not necessarily always a good thing. For example, many people are driven to drug addiction and other kinds of self-destructive behavior by such pressures. I think that Dr. Peck's advice is applicable to only a certain kind of person, perhaps the kind that buys books like his.

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Helen Keller

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." -- Helen Keller

The wisdom of the ages! Would that we could convince the young of this truth! I suppose the most we can do is warn them of this reality and offer it as an encouragement. As Keller says here, only experience can really teach this kind of lesson.

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Peyton C. March, general

There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things we crave most in life -- happiness, freedom, and peace of mind -- are always attained by giving them to someone else. -Peyton C. March, general (1864-1955)

The use of the word "mythical" here makes me unsure what the general is trying to say. Does mythical here mean less real? In that case, I think he is quite wrong.

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William Shakespeare

Page Fifty-Nine

This above all: to thine own self be true,
And it must follow, as the night the day,
Thou canst not then be false to any man. –William Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (1564-1616)

This is one of the most popular quotes from Shakespeare, but it is dangerous to attribute the sentiment to him. The words are put into the mouth of Polonius in Hamlet, and there has been much debate about whether Polonius is supposed to be a wise man or a windbag. In the context of the whole speech of which these lines are the climax, I tend toward the latter opinion.

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Thomas A Edison

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." -- Thomas A Edison

Good one!

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Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author

Many are concerned about the monuments of the West and the East- to know who built them. For my part, I should like to know who in those days did not build them- who were above such trifling. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

Once again, Thoreau seems to be nothing but a contrarian. I suppose one might find fault with the builders of the pyramids, for example, but it seems only perverse to call the work trifling. Considering the human cost of those particular monuments, I might call them monstrous, but not trifling.

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Ambrose Bierce, writer

Patriotism, n. Combustible rubbish ready to the torch of any one ambitious to illuminate his name. In Dr. Johnson's famous dictionary patriotism is defined as the last resort of a scoundrel. With all due respect to an enlightened but inferior lexicographer I beg to submit it is the first. -Ambrose Bierce, writer (1842-1914)

As is often the case, I have to disagree with Mr. Bierce, at least to some degree, and with Dr. Johnson also in this case. While I believe that patriotism can be misused by scoundrels, that doesn't make it rubbish. There is probably no sentiment that can't be abused, and one that is a social virtue has greater potential for destructive use than more private ones. Although not popular with moderns, patriotism is still a virtue.

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Andy Rooney

"Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done." -- Andy Rooney

Mr. Rooney is pushing his curmudgeonly image here, but he is wrong. While it is certainly true that computers aren't absolutely required to do much of anything, they do in fact make it easier to do many very important things, such as distributing food and other necessities. A better example might be the distribution of electricity, which could not be done as it is today without the use of computers.

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Winston Churchill

"To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often." -- Winston Churchill

I hesitate to criticize Winston Churchill, but I think he is doing something funny with the words here. "To be" indicates a state, not an action; "to change" is obviously an action. A true statement along the lines of Churchill's thought would be, "To be perfect is to have changed often." Less awkward would be, "To become perfect is to change often."

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Rudolf Arnheim, psychologist and author

Nothing is more humbling than to look with a strong magnifying glass at an insect so tiny that the naked eye sees only the barest speck and to discover that nevertheless it is sculpted and articulated and striped with the same care and imagination as a zebra. Apparently it does not occur to nature whether or not a creature is within our range of vision, and the suspicion arises that even the zebra was not designed for our benefit. -Rudolf Arnheim, psychologist and author (1904-2007)

The phenomenon Arnheim draws our attention to is indeed worth pondering. I think I would draw a slightly different lesson from it, however. Instead of an impersonal "nature," I think about the God of nature and wonder what he has in mind in the design of the minuscule insect. To me it brings to mind the superabundance in God. "How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand." (Ps 139:17-18)

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Yehuda Bauer, professor

I come from a people who gave the Ten Commandments to the world. Time has come to strengthen them by three additional ones, which we ought to adopt and commit ourselves to: thou shall not be a perpetrator; thou shall not be a victim; and thou shall never, but never, be a bystander. -Yehuda Bauer, professor (b. 1926)

This sounds good but I think it is mistaken. For one thing, Bauer's eleventh commandment is already covered in greater detail in the original ten, as is Bauer's thirteenth. Number twelve is problematic in that sometimes being a willing victim is the way to ultimate victory. Noble martyrdom is a valid way to resist evil, in some circumstances. I say "valid" because I am not referring to so-called "martyrs" whose aim to kill and destroy innocent lives. On the other hand, maybe Bauer is right. A true victim is always an Object, whereas a true martyr is clearly a Subject.

(A less significant criticism: the proper form of the verb with "thou" is "shalt," not "shall.")

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Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S.

When I do good, I feel good; when I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion. - Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S. (1809-1865)

It would be good to know the context in which this statement was made. I hope that it doesn't reflect Lincoln's well-considered opinion, because it is extremely shallow. It equates religion with morality, which is a mistake, and then reduces morality to sentiment. How one feels about an action is hardly an adequate basis for moral action.

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Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist

We are so accustomed to disguise ourselves to others that in the end we become disguised to ourselves. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (1613-1680)

I believe this is true. According to Thomas de Zengotita, author of Mediated: How the Media Shapes your World and the Way You Live in It, this is a particularly acute problem in our day.

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Yahia Lababidi, writer

Wars are the side-effects of nationalism. -Yahia Lababidi, writer (b. 1973)

This is definitely not true. Wars were part of history long before nationalism. I have some sympathy for the sentiment that lies behind this statement, which I take to be the view that nationalism can lead to unnecessary strife and destruction among peoples, but the statement is still not true. And I would not say, as I think Lababidi probably would, that nationalism is completely mistaken or even evil, but rather that it is becoming increasingly anachronistic.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice

A child's education should begin at least one hundred years before he is born. -Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., US Supreme Court Justice (1841-1935)

I take this to mean that a child's parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents have a great effect on the child's educational attainments, which I think is very true, and is a significant factor in the very intractable "achievement gap."

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John F. Kennedy

"Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings." -- John F. Kennedy

This sounds very noble, but I am afraid he was wrong here. Our problems are man-made, but not made by man alone, and so cannot be solved by man alone. The most intractable of human problems have a spiritual dimension and must be attacked with spiritual power, that is, the power supplied by the Holy Spirit. The basic human problem is the sin problem, which has been addressed by the redemptive life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The power that flows from that is essential for solving the problems of human destiny.

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Edward Bulwer-Lytton, author

If you wish to be loved, show more of your faults than your virtues. -Edward Bulwer-Lytton, author (1803-1873)

As a generalization, this is not true. Faults do not make one lovable and virtues do. A vile temper, for example, does not readily draw love from others, while magnanimity does. So what is Bulwer-Lytton thinking of here? I think he has in mind modesty, in the sense of unassuming behavior. If you want to be loved, don't talk about your own virtues, but rather be more forthcoming about your faults. Following Jesus' teaching in Mt 6:1-6 would keep you on the right path.

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Gerry Spence, lawyer; St. Irenaeus of Lyons, Doctor of the Church,

To freely bloom - that is my definition of success. -Gerry Spence, lawyer (b. 1929)

St. Irenaeus of Lyons , an early Father and Doctor of the Church, put it this way: Man fully alive is the glory of God.

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Gabriel Laub, author

Crown: A headgear that makes the head superfluous. -Gabriel Laub, author (1928-1998)

I find this kind of epigram annoying. It is such a sweeping condemnation of the institution of the monarchy that one who already agreed with the sentiment would accept it unthinkingly but no one else would, yet it isn't witty enough to be enjoyed simply as an epigram.

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Jonathan Swift, satirist

If a man would register all his opinions upon love, politics, religion, learning, etc., beginning from his youth and so go on to old age, what a bundle of inconsistencies and contradictions would appear at last! -Jonathan Swift, satirist (1667-1745)

One would certainly hope so! The alternative would be a strange old man I think.

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H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic

Page Fifty-Two

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed – and hence clamorous to be led to safety -- by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (1880-1956)

I disagree with this in that it is too sweeping a generalization, but I think that its thrust is worth bearing in mind, especially in a time like this election year. Candidates have to differentiate themselves from the competition, and the temptation is strong to emphasize certain issues extravagantly, perhaps turning them into imaginary hobgoblins.

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Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate

Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (b. 1928)

I believe that this is true, when it is clear that one party in a dispute is an oppressor and the other a victim. Then it is morally reprehensible, though often very tempting, to be silent. But sometimes it isn't quite clear who is the oppressor. Then it seems to me that the course of wisdom is to remain neutral until it is clear. Depending on the gravity of such a conflict, it may be morally necessary to intervene in some way to determine exactly the nature of the conflict.

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Horace, poet and satirist

He who postpones the hour of living is like the rustic who waits for the river to run out before he crosses. -Horace, poet and satirist (65-8 BCE)

One hesitates before wading into a stream out fear of being swept away by the current. In a similar way one might hold back from engaging fully in life out of fear of losing control of one's life. Indeed, there is some danger in life; one cannot know beforehand everything that may happen. But there are safeguards one can employ when engaging in life, as in fording a stream. A sturdy faith can prevent disaster, like a sturdy rope across the stream. Trusty companions are the best.

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Alice Walker, author

I find it difficult to feel responsible for the suffering of others. That's why I find war so hard to bear. It's the same with animals: I feel the less harm I do, the lighter my heart. I love a light heart. And when I know I'm causing suffering, I feel the heaviness of it. It's a physical pain. So it's self-interest that I don't want to cause harm. -Alice Walker, author (b. 1944)

The first sentence of this quote is ambiguous. At first I thought she meant that she is emotionally handicapped in some way so that she lacks empathy, but by the end it is clear that her problem is just the opposite: she empathizes so much that it hurts physically.

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Martin Luther King Jr.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere" – Martin Luther King Jr.

This sounds good, but I wonder in what sense it is true.

Take for example injustice in Zambia. How does that threaten justice in the U. S.? Taking a purely materialistic point of view, that is, leaving out any consideration of spiritual forces, it would seem that the only way injustice in Zambia could affect the U. S. is by knowledge of injustice there encouraging forces of injustice here and/or discouraging those seeking justice here.

On the level of spiritual warfare, on the other hand, I think that there is really only one battle in the world, and Zambia is one flank. If the forces of good fail there, it may well affect us all.

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Bill Gates

Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one. -- Bill Gate

I wonder if Bill was being really clever here? The implication is that the nerds will rise toward the top of the organization chart so the chances are that everyone will end up working for one. So far it hasn't happened to me.

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Abba Agathon, monk

I have never gone to sleep with a grievance against anyone. And, as far as I could, I have never let anyone go to sleep with a grievance against me.-Abba Agathon, monk (4th/5th century) [from the Sayings of the Desert Fathers]

Good advice from a holy man. He was acting on the words of the New Testament: Eph 4:26 and, especially, Mt 5:23-26.

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Aldous Huxley, novelist

The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human. -Aldous Huxley, novelist (1894-1963)

Perhaps the original context of this statement made it clear that Huxley was talking about particular propagandists, but standing alone, this isn't true because it is too sweeping. Often propagandists have other purposes, sometimes even noble.

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Denis Diderot, writer, editor, philosopher

"There is no moral precept that does not have something inconvenient about it." -- Denis Diderot, writer, editor, philosopher

Inconvenient? Indeed! Trust this prominent exponent of the French Enlightenment to cast the supreme battle of mankind in such terms. The fate of the world and of each individual man is decided by the response to moral precepts.

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Buddha

It is not life and wealth and power that enslave men, but the cleaving to life and wealth and power. -Buddha (c. 563-483 BC)

This is true. The question them becomes, how shall we achieve the state of not clinging to life and wealth and power? Buddha's answer, as I understand it, is a continuous striving against the world and against oneself. Jesus' answer, by contrast, is life in relationship to Him, a life of surrender to Love and the working of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 17:33 "Whoever seeks to gain his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will preserve it."
Galatians 2:20-21 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me;and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification were through the law, Christ died for no purpose."

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Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet

If your morals make you dreary, depend on it, they are wrong. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894)

Or at least partly wrong. It is true that leading a fully moral life leads to full happiness, but it is also true that an unhappy person may nevertheless have some correct morals. So just because someone has a dreary life, it doesn't mean that there is no area in which they can be honored or emulated.

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Pablo Picasso

"There are painters who transform the sun to a yellow spot, but there are others who with the help of their art and their intelligence transform a yellow spot into the sun."-- Pablo Picasso

This is a wonderful characterization of the work of the artist. It can be applied as well to the writer.

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Jean Toomer, poet and novelist

Thank everyone who calls out your faults, your anger, your impatience, your egotism; do this consciously, voluntarily. -Jean Toomer, poet and novelist (1894-1967)

Excellent advice! We tend to be blind to our own faults, but our friends and neighbors, and especially our spouses, often see them clearly. If they tell us, we can work on correcting them, and if we thank them for telling us, they will likely continue to do so, and probably will be more generous and forgiving toward us as well.

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Piet Hein, poet and scientist

Knowing what
Thou knowest not
Is in a sense
Omniscience.
Piet Hein, poet and scientist (1905-1996)

Interesting! It is true that the realm of things that we know we are ignorant about is very large, but in truth the full scope of knowledge Hein means includes not only what we know we don't know, but also what we don't even know is knowable. There are logically four realms of knowledge: what we know we know, what we think we know but don't really, what we know we don't know, and what we don't know we don't know. A look at the history of science gives us a hint of how large that last category may be.

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Albert Einstein

I cannot imagine a God who rewards and punishes the objects of his creation, whose purposes are modeled after our own -- a God, in short, who is but a reflection of human frailty. -Albert Einstein, physicist, Nobel laureate (1879-1955)

Einstein was a great physicist, but not much of a theologian. This comment reveals that he had not looked very deeply into the the work of many theologians and saints who spent many years grappling with the issues he treats so lightly.

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Alice Walker, author

What the mind doesn't understand, it worships or fears. -Alice Walker, author (b. 1944)

Ms Walker seems to have a very limited exposure to the variety of human nature. My own experience tells me that people may have a number of other reactions to something that they don't understand, such as wonder or curiosity.

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Annie Dillard, author

I learn that ten percent of all the world's species are parasitic insects. It is hard to believe. What if you were an inventor, and you made ten percent of your inventions in such a way that they could only work by harnessing, disfiguring or totally destroying the other ninety percent? -Annie Dillard, author (b. 1945)

Ms Dillard exhibits here some very fuzzy thinking. It is hard to imagine that there are any inventions that don't harness other inventions, and the purpose of many inventions is to disfigure, in the sense of alter in some way (for example a lathe), andfor many others the function is to destroy other things (e.g., a trash compactor).

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Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

Society is like a stew. If you don't keep it stirred up you get a lot of scum on the top. -Edward Abbey, naturalist and author (1927-1989)

History shows that there is a lot of truth to this. The trick for a good society is to devise a form of government that allows for stirring the pot on a regular basis. Violent revolution obviously has serious drawbacks, but comes about when the scum can't be removed by peaceful methods.

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