Category: Favorite Quotes

Some of my favorite quotes. Usually from books, movies or tv shows. Occasionally from figures throughout history who have summed up some nugget of wisdom in a profound, memorable or entertaining way.

So hard to see the beauty.

Some days it is SO hard to see the beauty… Today (7/28/2013) was one of those days.

I won’t go into a lot of detail, but I had an experience with a supervisor / co-worker and supposed comrade / shipmate which shook my faith in humanity. The discovery initially just made me angry. But the action was so blatant and apparently vindictive. The person lied and plead ignorance when I initially asked them about it, and then changed their story and lied to me again when I confronted them with the truth. The event was minor but the vindictiveness of it, the dishonesty, and what it appeared to reveal of this person’s opinion of me… these things quickly turned my initial anger to a deep feeling of sadness and has left me with a very negative outlook on humanity and life. Continue reading So hard to see the beauty.

Intimate with Few…

“Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow growth, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation.” – George Washington (U.S. General & President 1732-1799)

Crazy Eddie Wants You!

The Mote in God's EyeReading The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle for probably the 30th time. I love this book. Here’s a couple of quotes that sound VERY familiar… Sounds like every politician that is or has been in office in America for the past 10 years or more…

“When a city has grown so overlarge and crowded that it is in immediate danger of collapse . . . when food and clean water flow into the city at a rate just sufficient to feed every mouth, and every hand must work constantly to keep it that way . . . when all transportation is involved in moving vital supplies, and none is left over to move people out of the city should the need arise . . . then it is that Crazy Eddie leads the movers of garbage out on strike for better working conditions.” There was considerable laughter in the wardroom. Renner’s image grinned and said, “I think I know the gentleman. …” — pg. 226, Chap. 24, The Mote in God’s Eye

“And mine spoke of Crazy Eddie as an engineer always using tomorrow’s capital to fix today’s problems,” Sinclair blurted. — pg. 227, Chap. 24, The Mote in God’s Eye

 

Tecumseh

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.
Trouble no one about their religion;
respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours.

Love your life,
perfect your life,
beautify all things in your life.

Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people.
Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.

Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.
Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living.
If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself.

Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die,
be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death,
so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way.
Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”
Chief Tecumseh 1768-1830

Universe ≠ Logical

“If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability.” — Vannevar Bush (engineer, inventor, science administrator 1890-1974)