Insights, Snippets, Quotes, Epiphanies & All That Sort of Things

Started by Wakefield, December 30, 2012, 01:55:32 PM

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Florestan

Quote from: Henry David ThoreauThe objections which have been brought against a standing army, and they are many and weighty, and deserve to prevail, may also at last be brought against a standing government. The standing army is only an arm of the standing government.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Wakefield

QuoteThe safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.

-- A.N. Whitehead: Process and Reality.
"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire

Florestan

He who possesses liberty otherwise than as an aspiration possesses it soulless, dead. One of the qualities of liberty is that, as long as it is being striven after, it goes on expanding. Therefore, the man who stands still in the midst of the struggle and says, "I have it," merely shows by so doing that he has just lost it. Now this very contentedness in the possession of a dead liberty is characteristic of the so-called State, and, as I have said, it is not a good characteristic. No doubt the franchise, self-taxation, etc., are benefits — but to whom? To the citizen, not to the individual. Now, reason does not imperatively demand that the individual should be a citizen. Far from it. The State is the curse of the individual. With what is Prussia's political strength bought? With the absorption of the individual in the political and geographical idea. The waiter is the best soldier. And on the other hand, take the Jewish people, the aristocracy of the human race — how is it they have kept their place apart, their poetical halo, amid surroundings of coarse cruelty? By having no State to burden them. Had they remained in Palestine, they would long ago have lost their individuality in the process of their State's construction, like all other nations. Away with the State! I will take part in that revolution. Undermine the whole conception of a State, declare free choice and spiritual kinship to be the only all-important conditions of any union, and you will have the commencement of a liberty that is worth something. Changes in forms of government are pettifogging affairs — a degree less or a degree more, mere foolishness. The State has its root in time, and will ripe and rot in time. Greater things than it will fall — religion, for example. Neither moral conceptions nor art-forms have an eternity before them. How much are we really in duty bound to pin our faith to? Who will guarantee me that on Jupiter two and two do not make five ? --- Henrik Ibsen
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

The State is the curse of the individual. --- Henrik Ibsen
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

jochanaan

QuoteFreedom is the freedom to say two plus two equals four.

George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-four
Imagination + discipline = creativity

Ken B


Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Wakefield

The Innocence of Father Brown (1911)

"The Blue Cross"

Quote- "He was smoking a cigarette with the seriousness of an idler."

- "The most incredible thing about miracles is that they happen. A few clouds in heaven do come together into the staring shape of one human eye. A tree does stand up in the landscape of a doubtful journey in the exact and elaborate shape of a note of interrogation."

- "How in blazes do you know all these horrors?" cried Flambeau.
"The shadow of a smile crossed the round, simple face of his clerical opponent.
"Oh, by being a celibate simpleton, I suppose," he [Father Brown] said. "Has it never struck you that a man who does next to nothing but hear men's real sins is not likely to be wholly unaware of human evil?"

"The Secret Garden"

Quote- "He was one of the great humanitarian French freethinkers; and the only thing wrong with them is that they make mercy even colder than justice."

- "He had this great quality, which very few of us can claim, that his presence was as big as his absence."

- "I am the head of the police; I am so public that I can afford to be private."

- "There was an inhuman silence in the room, like that sea of inhuman silence round the dock of the condemned murderer."

- "... and on the blind face of the suicide was more than the pride of Cato."

"The Queer Feet"

Quote"The Vernon Hotel at which The Twelve True Fishermen held their annual dinners was an institution such as can only exist in an oligarchical society which has almost gone mad on good manners. It was that topsy-turvy product--an "exclusive" commercial enterprise. That is, it was a thing which paid not by attracting people, but actually by turning people away. In the heart of a plutocracy tradesmen become cunning enough to be more fastidious than their customers. They positively create difficulties so that their wealthy and weary clients may spend money and diplomacy in overcoming them. If there were a fashionable hotel in London which no man could enter who was under six foot, society would meekly make up parties of six-foot men to dine in it. If there were an expensive restaurant which by a mere caprice of its proprietor was only open on Thursday afternoon, it would be crowded on Thursday afternoon."

:)
"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire

Ken B

Quote from: Gordo on June 08, 2014, 01:56:19 PM
The Innocence of Father Brown (1911)

"The Blue Cross"

"The Secret Garden"

"The Queer Feet"

:)
My favorite is about the truth in Israel Gow, when you get to it.

Wakefield

Quote from: Ken B on June 08, 2014, 04:17:05 PM
My favorite is about the truth in Israel Gow, when you get to it.

Thanks! I will be reading it very soon.
"One of the greatest misfortunes of honest people is that they are cowards. They complain, keep quiet, dine and forget."
-- Voltaire

ibanezmonster

Someone online wrote something that I realized basically sums up my political views: Democrats are dumb and Republicans are dangerous.  ;D

Ken B

Quote from: Greg on July 17, 2014, 08:19:38 PM
Someone online wrote something that I realized basically sums up my political views: Democrats are dumb and Republicans are dangerous.  ;D
I think the reverse. An example.  Republican idiots want to set up creationist theme parks, democrats idiots think vaccinations are dangerous. Which of these idiocies is really dangerous. The assault on funding for museums comes from the right.  The assaults on free speech, due process, and open enquiry come mostly from the left.
Which of these is really dangerous?
Republicans given free reign would set up ten commandments plaques, and democrats would enact protectionism.
Which of these is really dangerous? 

EigenUser

I think it depends on what areas you look at.
Quote from: Ken B on July 17, 2014, 10:11:32 PM
[...] Republican idiots want to set up creationist theme parks [...]
As someone who tends to veer right (not that I have any interest in politics), it is these people who bug me the most (i.e. the crazy republicans rather than the crazy democrats). Even I prefer to say "conservative" to avoid putting myself in a party, these kinds of republicans just ruin the whole image. I don't want to be associated with creationism just because I am marginally conservative! That isn't fair! I'm sure that many people who are more liberal feel the same way about the example you posted.

Basically, I hate parties. Don't ask me specifics because I am not a poly-sci person at all, but I agree with many of the fiscal/international relations policies championed by republicans and I agree with many of the social policies championed by the democrats. If I had to pick one, it would be the republicans only because I think that the economy and international relations are two far more important issues than any social issues (not to say that these are totally unrelated all of the time).
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Ken B

Quote from: EigenUser on July 18, 2014, 02:08:59 AM
I think it depends on what areas you look at.As someone who tends to veer right (not that I have any interest in politics), it is these people who bug me the most (i.e. the crazy republicans rather than the crazy democrats). Even I prefer to say "conservative" to avoid putting myself in a party, these kinds of republicans just ruin the whole image. I don't want to be associated with creationism just because I am marginally conservative! That isn't fair! I'm sure that many people who are more liberal feel the same way about the example you posted.

Basically, I hate parties. Don't ask me specifics because I am not a poly-sci person at all, but I agree with many of the fiscal/international relations policies championed by republicans and I agree with many of the social policies championed by the democrats. If I had to pick one, it would be the republicans only because I think that the economy and international relations are two far more important issues than any social issues (not to say that these are totally unrelated all of the time).

+1 more or less. Both parties have "useful idiots" in Lenin's phrase. Their votes are needed. The gop has *embarrassing* useful idiots but the democrats have *destructive* ones.

I have a broad libertarian streak -- I positively itch to leave people alone, I burn with desire to not know  how they eat, smoke, or screw -- but find most self-described "Libertarians" of the Ron Paul persuasion so embarrassing and awful (neo-confederates, conspiracy nuts, isolationists) I don't like the term anymore.

EigenUser

Quote from: Ken B on July 18, 2014, 11:01:07 AM
+1 more or less. Both parties have "useful idiots" in Lenin's phrase. Their votes are needed. The gop has *embarrassing* useful idiots but the democrats have *destructive* ones.

I have a broad libertarian streak -- I positively itch to leave people alone, I burn with desire to not know  how they eat, smoke, or screw -- but find most self-described "Libertarians" of the Ron Paul persuasion so embarrassing and awful (neo-confederates, conspiracy nuts, isolationists) I don't like the term anymore.
Sounds like we are pretty much on the same wavelength, at least based on that (not totally, as I am listening to Mahler 1 right now :D). In fact, I was going to use the "L" word to describe my views but I feared the same thing that you did!

To be fair, I think that part of my "leave people alone" ideas stem from a general apathy in politics altogether. I don't have strong political views.
Beethoven's Op. 133 -- A fugue so bad that even Beethoven himself called it "Grosse".

Florestan

Quote from: Greg on July 17, 2014, 08:19:38 PM
Democrats are dumb and Republicans are dangerous.  ;D

Democrats and Republicans are both dumb and dangerous --- not only in USA, but everywhere.
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Florestan

Quote from: EigenUser on July 18, 2014, 12:53:38 PM
To be fair, I think that part of my "leave people alone" ideas stem from a general apathy in politics altogether. I don't have strong political views.

To be fair, I think that my hating all parties stems from a general interest in politics: I have strong political views.  ;D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

ibanezmonster

Quote from: Florestan on July 19, 2014, 12:05:54 PM
To be fair, I think that my hating all parties stems from a general interest in politics: I have strong political views.  ;D
And I guess my hatred of parties comes from my hatred of politicians- just a bunch of pricks that want to tell us what to do.

Ken B

Quote from: Florestan on July 19, 2014, 12:05:54 PM
To be fair, I think that my hating all parties stems from a general interest in politics: I have strong political views.  ;D
Quote from: Greg on July 19, 2014, 12:11:34 PM
And I guess my hatred of parties comes from my hatred of politicians- just a bunch of pricks that want to tell us what to do.

I too have some strong political views. Usually I am strongly against someone or something. That does not translate into political involvement though. I summarize my views in six words: freedom works, incentives matter, enemies exist.