Saturday, November 21, 2009

Quotes for Today - and Always

Since I'm participating in NaBloPoMo, I decided I should make an attempt to post at least once during the month on each of the topics that are typical in my blog. And what does my blog heading say?

My most frequent topics are family, TV, movies, games and writing. But since I post every weekday when I'm not on vacation, I delve into other things too: religion, words, news items, quotes.


To this point, I have not blogged about quotes during November, so here we go.

====== Logical Consequences ====================

Logical consequences are the scarecrows of fools and the beacons of wise men.
Thomas Huxley

When we were raising our children, when they were quite young, Sherry took "logical consequences" very seriously. As with most conscientious parents these days, Sherry wanted to learn from the experts, and one of the key ideas from experts at that time was that children learn to stop bad behavior, and to continue good behavior, if they can experience natural consequences. In other words, rather than punish a child with a spanking or a loss of allowance or something that is entirely unrelated to the bad behavior, find a consequence that can be tied, logically, to the behavior. The child hits someone, they must spend time alone while others play together, because naturally, no one wants to spend time with someone who hits them.

Well, in the quote above, we see the value of natural consequences to all people, not just children. And, I hope, it also means that we were teaching our children to be wise -- to look ahead at consequences for actions they had only conceived, so that they can pursue the natural consequences which are beneficial and avoid the rest.

====== Science and Poetry =======

In science one tries to tell people, in such a way as to be understood by everyone, something that no one ever knew before. But in poetry, it's the exact opposite.
- Paul Dirac

I've blogged this one before, but it's too good not to repeat. As before I will leave it in its purity - just read and absorb.

Oh, except for one thing. To read the statement, you might assume Paul Dirac was a poet. He was, in fact, quite a scientist.

Then again, what's to keep someone from being both?

======= Life & Liberty =============

The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time.

Thomas Jefferson

This one deserves a Short Sermon all on its own. Not today, though.

======== Learning ================

He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
- Chinese Proverb

======== Trust ==================

He who does not trust enough, Will not be trusted.
Lao Tzu

I trust that's enough for today.

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