Changing Shape

A round man cannot be expected to fit in a square hole right away. He must have time to modify his shape. - Mark Twain 


We are all products of our past and to change is difficult. Those most resistant to change - but not directly opposed - are the most stable people. Beware of those who change with the slightest provocation.


(Other post on Change) 

Augmented Post

Sometimes I have more to say. From a previous post:

The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money. - Alexis de Tocqueville


We'll see how much bribery is required for his prediction to come true.


When you do a wrong, you can either fess up to your fault and take your lumps or you can try to fix the wrong. Congress has a third method - pretend you didn't do wrong; blame someone else; go about fixing the wrong by doing more wrong.


It is ironic that the most regulated part of our economy - the banking and financial industry - is in danger of collapse yet the government (which does the regulating) is in the process of "fixing" the problem by doing more regulating. The most discouraging aspect is that no one seems to be questioning the supposition that "something" must be done. Why? Why not take our lumps and learn from the error? Because most of Congress would be out of a job, that's why.


How did Congress manage to get the bulk of the people to go along with their obviously faulty logic? Bribery - with the people's own money - even money which does not yet exist. "We must create more jobs" and pay for them with your own money. Government jobs do not create more wealth. They will pay for these new jobs by "creating" more money; created money gets paid back by creating inflation - which the productive and non-productive people pay for dearly. But the bribe is working. Congress has not only discovered the bribe but have perfected it. How long will our Republic endure?

Being as Big as Your Money

No man may be smaller than his money. - Ayn Rand 


As they say, a fool and his money are soon parted.


(Other posts on Money) 

Good People Doing Evil

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg 


In doubt? Read history.


(Other posts on Religion) 

Dancing Common Sense

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. - William James 

It's only common sense that you should be concerned if you loose your sense of humor. Political correctness is a sure-fire sign.

(Other posts on Emotions) 

Beginning Attitude

It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome. - William James 


If it is a team effort be sure everybody has a positive attitude before starting - this may be the most difficult part of the task.


(Other posts on Achievement)  

True to Yourself

I prefer to be true to myself, even at the hazard of incurring the ridicule of others, rather than to be false, and to incur my own abhorrence. - Frederick Douglass 


Come on Fred, go ahead and substitute the word "demand" for the word "prefer."


(Other posts on Character) 

Baffling Concepts

Sometimes a concept is baffling not because it is profound but because it is wrong. - E. O. Wilson   


Hopefully none of my concepts are baffling. If they are then I have failed to communicate.


(Other posts on Wisdom) 

Don't Worry, Be Creative

Worry is a misuse of imagination. - Dan Zadra


Save your imagination for something creative.


(Other posts on Imagination) 

Uncompromised Integrity

One of the truest tests of integrity is its blunt refusal to be compromised.  - Chinua Achebe 


Machiavelli  was wrong.


(Other post on Character)