What is/are your favorite quote/s?
(This is a self-repost, hence the "duplicate question" tag.)
A guy named Adolf Hitler won an election in 1932. He won an election, and 50 million people died as a result of that election in World War II, including six million Jews. So what I learned as a little kid is that politics is, in fact, very important.
-Bernie Sanders
Good satire raises questions about reality.
(IDK the source, but I first heard it here)
The old world is dying, and the new world struggles to be born: now is the time of monsters.
-Antonio Gramsci, 1930
When I was a kid my parents warned me about the mind-numbing effect TV would have on me if I watched too much of it. They were referring to fluff entertainment, which I've consumed plenty of over the years. Meanwhile, my parents used the TV to watch important and meaningful shows like the news. Eventually Fox News. In the end, they were right— but not in the way they expected.
If God has made us in his image, we have returned him the favor.
-Voltaire
All tyrannies rule through fraud and force. When fraud is exposed, they must rule exclusively by force.
-George Orwell
If you do not use the person you are, you will lose the person you are and instead become the mask that you wear.
-Greg Guevara/Jreg
What do you need from your parents?
encouragement
-u/DeSteph-DeCurry
This (very long) quote from "They thought they were free"
Each act, each occasion, is worse than the last, but only a little worse. You wait for the next and the next. You wait for one great shocking occasion, thinking that others, when such a shock comes, will join with you in resisting somehow. You don't want to act, or even talk, alone; you don't want to 'go out of your way to make trouble.' Why not?-Well, you are not in the habit of doing it. And it is not just fear, fear of standing alone, that restrains you; it is also genuine uncertainty. Uncertainty is a very important factor, and, instead of decreasing as time goes on, it grows. Outside, in the streets, in the general community, 'everyone' is happy. One hears no protest, and certainly sees none. You know, in France or Italy there would be slogans against the government painted on walls and fences; in Germany, outside the great cities, perhaps, there is not even this. In the university community, in your own community, you speak privately to your colleagues, some of whom certainly feel as you do; but what do they say? They say, 'It's not so bad' or 'You're seeing things' or 'You're an alarmist.'
And you are an alarmist. You are saying that this must lead to this, and you can't prove it. These are the beginnings, yes; but how do you know for sure when you don't know the end, and how do you know, or even surmise, the end? On the one hand, your enemies, the law, the regime, the Party, intimidate you. On the other, your colleagues pooh-pooh you as pessimistic or even neurotic. You are left with your close friends, who are, naturally, people who have always thought as you have....
But the one great shocking occasion, when tens or hundreds or thousands will join with you, never comes. That's the difficulty. If the last and worst act of the whole regime had come immediately after the first and smallest, thousands, yes, millions would have been sufficiently shocked-if, let us say, the gassing of the Jews in '43 had come immediately after the 'German Firm' stickers on the windows of non-Jewish shops in '33. But of course this isn't the way it happens. In between come all the hundreds of little steps, some of them imperceptible, each of them preparing you not to be shocked by the next. Step C is not so much worse than Step B, and, if you did not make a stand at Step B, why should you at Step C? And so on to Step D.
And one day, too late, your principles, if you were ever sensible of them, all rush in upon you. The burden of self-deception has grown too heavy, and some minor incident, in my case my little boy, hardly more than a baby, saying 'Jewish swine,' collapses it all at once, and you see that everything, everything, has changed and changed completely under your nose. The world you live in-your nation, your people-is not the world you were born in at all. The forms are all there, all untouched, all reassuring, the houses, the shops, the jobs, the mealtimes, the visits, the concerts, the cinema, the holidays. But the spirit, which you never noticed because you made the lifelong mistake of identifying it with the forms, is changed. Now you live in a world of hate and fear, and the people who hate and fear do not even know it themselves; when everyone is transformed, no one is transformed. Now you live in a system which rules without responsibility even to God. The system itself could not have intended this in the beginning, but in order to sustain itself it was compelled to go all the way."
and this shorter quote from a 1950 report, along with some extras from an article that features it
Back in 1950, when both major parties were broad and moderate with overlapping appeals, many of America’s leading political scientists wrote a report in which they bemoaned this state of affairs.
In a report, “Toward a More Responsible Two-Party System,” they saw two national parties that were but loose confederations of state and local parties, incapable of bringing forward coherent programs to the voters and carrying them out when they got into power.
If the American political parties failed to heed their advice, the authors issued a dire warning:
If the two parties do not develop alternative programs that can be executed, the voter’s frustration and the mounting ambiguities of national policy might also set in motion more extreme tendencies to the political left and the political right. This, again, would represent a condition to which neither our political institutions nor our civic habits are adapted. Once a deep political cleavage develops between opposing groups, each group naturally works to keep it deep. Such groups may gravitate beyond the confines of the American system of government and its democratic institutions.
Assuming a survival of the two-party system in form though not in spirit, even if only one of the diametrically opposite parties comes to flirt with unconstitutional means and ends, the consequences would be serious. For then the constitution-minded electorate would be virtually reduced to a one-party system with no practical alternative to holding to the “safe” party at all cost.
(That being said, this quote does show some age, as we now know that this "constitution-minded electorate" doesn't really exist. And "moderate" is extremely relative)
~ Otto Von Bismarck
~ Vladimir Lenin
~ Aaron Swartz
"Luck favors the prepared."
Beautiful way of simultaneously acknowledging and dismissing the role of luck in success.
A couple quotes that makes for happier living:
I've selected the Pratchett quotes fairly randomly, because frankly all his books are fucking fantastic.
The venerable H.L. Mencken:
I leave it to you to decide if that's happened yet
Tolkien.
The famous Tolkien quote:
Really is living with me lately given I have a young child during what is obviously a pretty crazy time in U.S. history.
There are a few quotes that have informed how I try to live my life; I guess they are my favourites.
This is often misquoted as "Be the change you wish to see in the world" and while it has a certain naïveté, it is also an outlook that I think is important. For me it means a few things; be kind to others, be true in word and deed, admit mistakes, accept complements. There is a lack of kindness, a lack of truth, a lack of accountability, and a lack of grace in the world, and I think it's important to add more of all these things.
This is another quote that builds on the previous one. When I was younger and poorer I could give only kindness, but that's one of the greatest things to give.
This doesn't mesh with the other ones particularly as it is not a quote to live one's life by, but it is a reminder of the constant struggle; the state of the world constantly make me angry (Bruce Banner quote - "That's my secret. I'm always angry." - is relevant here too), and it is exhausting for that to be the case. But if the state of many things aren't making you angry, then you might not be paying as much attention as one should. This loops back around to the quotes about kindness, because what I do with my anger about systems it to try to live my life kindly, which would, if everyone did so, fix these systems.
But also
These are two guiding principles that seem at odds with each other, but they're the yin and yang of accomplishing anything. The first quote is the one I used to take as an absolute; if you are going to do something, then actually do it well. I still believe this, and for the most part it is something that still permeates all the actions that I take. However, the other quote is also important; it says that you don't have to actually do something perfectly for that to be worthwhile. They're both important things to hold onto, both sides of the same coin. Anything that is worth doing is something you should do, and if it you're able to do it well, then that's great, but if you're not able to do it well that doesn't mean it has no value. Some of the things that I'm worst at are the things that I want to do the most, and some things - like self care - are things that we may never have the capacity to do well, but it's important that we start doing them. I also like these juxtaposed with each other because it's a reminder that the world is far more complex than an aphorism can sum up.
Similarly,
This one I came across as a motto of an organization I don't recall:
A bit different from the rest, but I really love this simple snippet of dialogue above. It encapsulates so much about love, ego, gender relations, and the power dynamics of sex.
After having loved a parrot, I had to go to bed with a serpent. - Albert Camus, The Fall
After having struggled, after having used up all my insolent airs, discouraged by the uselessness of my efforts, I made up my mind to leave the society of men. No, no, I didn’t look for a desert island; there are no more. I simply took refuge among women. As you know, they don’t really condemn any weakness; they would be more inclined to try to humiliate or disarm our strength. This is why woman is the reward, not of the warrior, but of the criminal. She is his harbor, his haven; it is in a woman’s bed that he is generally arrested. Is she not all that remains to us of earthly paradise? In distress, I hastened to my natural harbor. But I no longer indulged in pretty speeches. I still gambled a little, out of habit; but invention was lacking. I hesitate to admit it for fear of using a few more naughty words: it seems to me that at that time I felt the need of love. Obscene, isn’t it? In any case, I experienced a secret suffering, a sort of privation that made me emptier and allowed me, partly through obligation and partly out of curiosity, to make a few commitments. Inasmuch as I needed to love and be loved, I thought I was in love. In other words, I acted the fool.
I often caught myself asking a question which, as a man of experience, I had always previously avoided. I would hear myself asking: “Do you love me?” You know that it is customary to answer in such cases: “And you?” If I answered yes, I found myself committed beyond my real feelings. If I [dared to say no, I ran the risk of ceasing to be loved, and I would suffer therefor. The greater the threat to the feeling in which I had hoped to find calm, the more I demanded that feeling of my partner. Hence I was led to ever more explicit promises and came to expect of my heart an ever more sweeping feeling. Thus I developed a deceptive passion for a charming fool of a woman who had so thoroughly read “true love” stories that she spoke of love with the assurance and conviction of an intellectual announcing the classless society. Such conviction, as you must know, is contagious. I tried myself out at tallying likewise of love and eventually convinced myself. At least until she became my mistress and I realized that the “true love” stories, though they taught how to talk of love, did not teach how to make love. After having loved a parrot, I had to go to bed with a serpent. So I looked elsewhere for the love promised by books, which I had never encountered in life.
Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. - Max Ehrmann, Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Finally, this excerpt from the Tao Te Ching is probably my life mantra:
Quentin Crisp
I don't remember who said it. But that's probably a sign that it's a good one. Either way, I live by that ethos.
One cannot invent the structure of an object. The most we can do is to patiently bring it to the light of day, with humilty.” Alexander Grothendieck - wikpedia
“The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not ‘Eureka!’ but ‘That’s funny…” Isaac Asimov
“A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value.” Isaac Asimov
“I believe economic growth should translate into the happiness and progress of all. Along with it, there should be development of art and culture, literature and education, science and technology. We have to see how to harness many resources [..] for achieving common good and for inclusive growth.” Pratibha Patil
“With the observable fact that scientific knowledge makes our lives better when applied with concern for human welfare and environmental protection, there is no question that science and technology can produce abundance so that no one has to go without.” Jacque Fresco
“We can lick gravity, but sometimes the paperwork is overwhelming.” and ““Research is what I’m doing when I don’t know what I’m doing.” Wernher von Braun
“Science fiction gives us the language so that we can have a conversation about the future”. Brian David Johnson
“Either one does not dream, or one does so interestingly. One should learn to spend one’s waking life in the same way: not at all, or interestingly.” F. Nietzche
“You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were five minutes ago.” Alan Watts
“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.” Robert A. Heinlein
“The electric light did not come from the continuous
improvement of candles” Oren Harari
“I consider science fiction to be the cultural wing of the scientific project.” Annalee Newitz
“food is the first necessity of people, agriculture is the foundation of the country” Jin Shanbao
“This is a cardboard universe and if you lean too long or too heavily against it, you fall through” Phillip K. Dick
“A blade of grass is a commonplace on Earth; it would be a miracle on Mars. Our descendants on Mars will know the value of a patch of green.” Carl Sagan
“Electricity is really just organized lightning.” - George Carlin
“Physiologically, man in the normal use of technology (or his variously extended body) is perpetually modified by it and in turn finds new ways of modifying his technology. Man becomes, as it were, the sex organs of the machine world, as the bee of the plant world, enabling it to fecundate and evolve ever new forms. - Marshall McLuhan
"The real problem of humanity is the following: we have paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions, and god-like technology." — E.O. Wilson
Measure twice, cut once
(popularly attributed to Dr. Seuss, but that is doubtful)
By a friend of mine:
I remembered a few more which might be worth a mention as their own comment:
(Wonder if this also applies to social things.)
Similarly:
-my dad
-unknown
-John Augustus Shedd
I think my favorite quote has come out of A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green:
I've also got some others:
(Terry Pratchett)
(Inheritance; Christopher Paolini)
(Winston Churchill)
And finally, the mood of the current situation of the world:
(Kaveh Akbar, “Wild Pear Tree”)
Sergeant Frank Drebin, Detective Lieutenant Police Squad (1988)
― Terry Pratchett, Equal Rites
-- Arthur C Clarke
-Kató Lomb
-Argus from Brazil, HUMAN vol. 3
Side note: if you've never watched the HUMAN movie trilogy, please, please do.