Similar Posts

  • Newspapers vs. Journalism

    Society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism. For a century, the imperatives to strengthen journalism and to strengthen newspapers have been so tightly wound as to be indistinguishable. That’s been a fine accident to have, but when that accident stops, as it is stopping before our eyes, we’re going to need lots of other ways to strengthen journalism instead.

    — Clay Shirky

  • Winning Arguments

    I can win an argument on any topic, against any opponent. People know this, and steer clear of me at parties. Often, as a sign of their great respect, they don’t even invite me.

    — Dave Barry

    In some ways, Dave Barry is saying the same thing, in his comedic genius sort of way, that John Morely said yesterday.

  • Misunderstanding Others

    It is hard for a free fish to understand what is happening to a hooked one.

    — Karl A. Menninger, The Human Mind

    This quote is a more poetic version of the one I posted yesterday that said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”

    According to Dr. George Watson at the University of Delaware, Karl Menninger was an early psychoanalyst who was probably referring to the criminal mind in this quote. Dr. Watson provides an expanded context of the quote.

  • Hurry

    In human affairs of danger and delicacy successful conclusion is sharply limited by hurry. So often, men trip by being in a rush. If one were properly to perform a difficult and subtle act, he should first inspect the end to be achieved and then, once he had accepted the end as desirable, he should forget it completely and concentrate solely on the means. By this method he wold not be moved to false action by anxiety or fear. Very few people learn this.

    — John Steinbeck, East of Eden

  • Go away, I’m looking for truth

    The truth knocks on the door and you say, “Go away, I’m looking for truth,” and so it goes away. Puzzling.

    — Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

    I actually sent this quote to an internal recruiter once. I had been through several interviews with the company and it seemed that I was progressing towards a job offer. I was excited about the company and it looked to me to be a very good fit.

    And then came that one final interview with one of the partners. Within the first fifteen seconds of our conversation I knew that an offer would not be forthcoming. It was clear that she had already made up her mind before the call even began. When the recruiter called a few days later to say that the firm had decided to not move forward I was deeply puzzled.

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