Egyptian proverb

A beautiful thing is never perfect. -Egyptian proverb

This seems ambiguous. Does it mean that even a beautiful thing is never perfect, or that if a thing is perfect that makes it not beautiful?

Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist

What can be asserted without proof can be dismissed without proof. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (b. 1949)

Careful! This isn't absolutely true. In geometry, for example, there are axioms that are considered intuitively obvious and don't need to be proved. Also in logic.

Peter Singer, philosopher, professor of bioethics

In an earlier stage of our development most human groups held to a tribal ethic. Members of the tribe were protected, but people of other tribes could be robbed or killed as one pleased. Gradually the circle of protection expanded, but as recently as 150 years ago we did not include blacks. So African human beings could be captured, shipped to America, and sold. In Australia white settlers regarded Aborigines as a pest and hunted them down, much as kangaroos are hunted down today. Just as we have progressed beyond the blatantly racist ethic of the era of slavery and colonialism, so we must now progress beyond the speciesist ethic of the era of factory farming, of the use of animals as mere research tools, of whaling, seal hunting, kangaroo slaughter, and the destruction of wilderness. We must take the final step in expanding the circle of ethics. -Peter Singer, philosopher, professor of bioethics (b. 1946)

Although the professor is implying that his conclusion follows logically from the history he relates, it does not. There are qualitative differences between humans and animals. This doesn't mean, however, that we don't need to improve the way we relate to animals, or to the rest of God's creation.

Henry Mintzberg

"Learning is not doing; it is reflecting on doing." -- Henry Mintzberg

This is true of some kinds of learning, but there are some kinds of learning that can only happen in the doing, such as the sequence of muscle activity involved in turning a double play or driving past a defender to the basket.

Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher

Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's? -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)

The short answer is "Neither."

Pedro Calderon de la Barca, poet and dramatist (1600-1681)

When love is not madness, it is not love. -Pedro Calderon de la Barca, poet and dramatist (1600-1681)

This equates love with passion, which may apply to erotic love but not to all kinds of love.