Think of it: zillions and zillions of organisms running around, each under
the hypnotic spell of a single truth, all these truths identical, and all
logically incompatible with one another:
"'My hereditary material is the most important material on earth; its survival
justifies your frustration, pain, even death".
And you are one of these organisms, living your life in the thrall of a logical
absurdity.
Robert Wright,
The Moral Animal, 1994.
In science fact can only mean confirmed to such a degree that it would be
perverse to withhold provisional assent.
Stephen Jay Gould, Hens teeth and horses toes.
First the Nazis went after the Jews, but I wasn't a Jew so I did not react.
Then they went after the Catholics, but I wasn't a Catholic, so I didn't
object. Then they went after the workers and I didn't stand up. Then they went
after the Protestant clergy and by then it was too late for anybody to stand
up.
Martin Niemoller, quoted from Hens teeth and horses toes.
If the universe is inexplicable without a god, it is inexcusable with
one.
Anon. Written at a time when the universe was inexplicable
Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas wont' go to jail. In the
long run the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only cure for bad
ideas is better ideas.
Dr A Whitney Griswold, President Yale University
Hate is not a family value
Seen on a teeshirt
Humanism is the use of reason in human affairs applied in the service of
compassion.
unknown
Criticism is a learned response. Part of the process of growing up is to go
back and rewrite childhood with unconditional love and acceptance.
unknown
And this quoted purely for its literary and comic value although insightful
about the decline of British power after WWII.
"The party is nearly over," he said.
"The party for our kind of people, for dear old western man - it's been a good
party, but the host's getting impatient and it's nearly time to go. And there
are lots of people waiting for our blood in the square outside. Particularly as
we've kept up the maddening habit of making improving speeches from the window.
It may be a long time before anyone has such a good party again."
The New Man. C.P.Snow
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