Pardonable Faults

Most of our faults are more pardonable than the means we use to conceal them. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

Once again one is reminded that honesty is the best policy.

 (Other posts on Perfection)

Three Kinds of People

All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move. - Benjamin Franklin

So progress is made through funerals, great speeches and great deeds.

(Other posts on People)

Bitterness of Poor Quality

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after low pricing is forgotten! - Leon M. Cautillo

 So even if you intend to give your product away to make money (the Google model) your product had still better be damned good.

(Other posts about Business)

Absence of Original Thought

A facility for quotation covers the absence of original thought. - Dorothy L. Sayers

I couldn't have said it better myself - if I had thought of it!

(Other posts on Thinking)

Curiosity

There are various sorts of curiosity; one is from interest, which makes us desire to know that which may be useful to us; and the other, from pride which comes from the wish to know what others are ignorant of. - Francois_de_La_Rochefoucauld

I'm curious how he came up with this concept.



(Other posts on Learning)

See Then Speak

When old people speak it is not because of the sweetness of words in our mouths; it is because we see something which you do not see. - Chinua Achebe

Hopefully young people learn to speak for the same reason.

(Other posts on Words)

Ballet

Strong passions or negative emotions cannot be projected in ballet, regardless of its librettos; it cannot express tragedy or fear—or sexuality; it is a perfect medium for the expression of spiritual love. - Ayn Rand

Now I understand why ballet has remained a positive expression and reflection of humanity.


(Other posts on Art)

Sun-Ripened Grapes

The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. - Galileo Galilei

Anthropomorphism can be a beautiful thing.

(Other posts on Words)

Successful Pursuit

Ayn Rand called it the benevolent-universe principle. This means that there are no hidden forces working against you and that success is often possible if you work for it. Defeat is the exception, not the rule. - Phillip Alder

You can be successful in your pursuit for happiness - if you work for it. 

(Other posts on Success) 

Enthusiastic Pursuit

Enthusiasm is NOT the same as just being excited. One gets excited about going on a roller coaster. One becomes enthusiastic about creating and building a roller coaster. - Bo Bennett

Pursue your happiness with enthusiasm.

(Other posts on Life)

Blind Pursuit

Whatever failures I have known, whatever errors I have committed, whatever follies I have witnessed in private and public life have been the consequence of action without thought. - Bernard Baruch

Think before pursuing your happiness; blind pursuits can rarely succeed.

(Other Posts on Achievement)

Failure to Pursue

I do not believe in a fate that falls on men however they act; but I do believe in a fate that falls on them unless they act. - G Chesterton

If you fail to pursue your happiness you will surely not find it.

(Other Posts on Failure)

The Pursuit

If you have not taken the time to define what happiness means to you, what have your spent your whole life pursuing? - Bo Bennett

If you have life; if you have liberty; pursue your happiness. 

Fair Play

Lawyers are the only persons in whom ignorance of the law is not punished. - Jeremy Bentham 

Never expect someone who wrote the rules to play fair.

Somethings Wrong

Every one speaks well of his own heart, but no one dares speak well of his own mind. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld 


He's right. Besides, if you use reason and logic to solve a problem you risk being accused of being cold and calculating; if you use your emotions and are wrong, your heart was "still in the right place." Somethings wrong here.

Patterns

It is impossible, in principle, to explain any pattern by invoking a single quantity. - Gregory Bateson

Politicians and the news media do it all the time. To them one quick example is proof the world is going to hell.

Creation

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce, but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions, and to build confidence in the creative spirit. - Ansel Adams

If a man is going to do more than merely survive then he must create. 

The Source

There is a misleading, unwritten rule that states if a quote giving advice comes from someone famous, very old, or Greek, then it must be good advice. - Bo Bennett

Not only misleading, but wrong. 

Consistency Please

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God who has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forgo their use. - Galileo Galilei 


Run that by me again please......don't abandon reason, yet you took your religion on faith?

Agreeable Conversation

The reason why so few people are agreeable in conversation is that each is thinking more about what he intends to say than others are saying. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

A good conversation moves slowly.

Manners Cirriculum

Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot. - Clarence Thomas

When it is said to teach your children well, it should be added that the first lessons should be in manners. 

Remembering Charm

When a man spends his time giving his wife criticism and advice instead of compliments, he forgets that it was not his good judgment, but his charming manners, that won her heart. - Helen Rowland

She should likewise remember what won his heart.

Manners

Speak modestly, do not put self above others, do not be easily offended, do not retaliate injuries, try not to offend others, look for the good in both friend and foe, be cheerful and pleasant, and freely express affection to friends and loved ones. - Benjamin Franklin

.....but don't put these above doing the right thing.

Formalities

Moving parts in rubbing contact require lubrication to avoid excessive wear. Honorifics and formal politeness provide lubrication where people rub together. Often the very young, the untraveled, the naive, the unsophisticated deplore these formalities as "empty," "meaningless," or "dishonest," and scorn to use them. No matter how "pure" their motives, they thereby throw sand into machinery that does not work too well at best. - Robert Heinlien

When dealing with a new culture learn the formalities first.

Presumptive Rights

On the traditional view, a man should indeed be reluctant to use force against women, but women have no right to presume upon this. The reluctance is elicited by a recognition of women’s weakness, not commanded as a recognition of their rights. - F. Roger Devlin

The presumption to which this observation refers can be generalized to any interaction between people. Because courtesy is offered does not mean a right to that courtesy exists.

Building

No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other. - Frank Lloyd Wright

Whenever a man, or mankind, builds anything it should be in accordance with nature; whether it be a house or a law.

Will Begets Means

Nothing is impossible; there are ways that lead to everything, and if we had sufficient will we should always have sufficient means. It is often merely for an excuse that we say things are impossible. - Francois de La Rochefoucauld

To get the means, get the will.

Yin-Yang

Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. - Lao Tzu

Is he saying to go with the flow? 

Minimize Your Therbligs

Minimize your therbligs until it becomes automatic; this doubles your effective lifetime - an thereby gives time to enjoy butterflies and kittens and rainbows. - Robert Heinlein

If you knew the meaning of "therblig" without going to your favorite dictionary - my hat is off to you. If you have no interest in what a "therblig" is - shame on you.

Why are we here?

In answer to the question of why it happened, I offer the modest proposal that our Universe is simply one of those things which happen from time to time. - Edward P. Tryon 

A zygote is a gamete's way of producing more gametes. This may be the purpose of the universe. - Robert Heinlein.

...and don't let any shaman tell you otherwise.

What is Reason?

Being unable to reason is not a positive character trait outside religion. - Dewey Henize

Reason integrates perceptions by means of logic - which distinguishes mankind from the animal world when used.