Quid Pro Quote, Volume 2
For your reading pleasure (and because I've got nothing else to post), I present another selection of my personal collection of quotes. Some are funny, some are profound, some are downright ridiculous. Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments and/or discussion.
Books
“She [Kate Schechter] had heard it said that humans are supposed to only use about a tenth of their brains, and that no one was very clear what the other nine tenths were for, but she had certainly never heard it suggested that they were used for storing penguins.”
--The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul
`I quite agree with you,' said the Duchess; `and the moral of that is--"Be what you would seem to be"--or if you'd like it put more simply--"Never imagine yourself not to be otherwise than what it might appear to others that what you were or might have been was not otherwise than what you had been would have appeared to them to be otherwise."' --Alice in Wonderland
“The [Vogon constructor] ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't.”
--The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Movies
“Well, I've wrestled with reality for 35 years, doctor, and I'm happy to state I finally won out over it.”
--Elwood P. Dowd, Harvey
Games
“A Mercurian Chomper is faster than a cheetah, meaner than a tyrannosaurus rex, bigger than a sperm whale, and hungrier than the state of Texas. We mention this because fifty of them just entered the plaza and spotted you.” --unknown Infocom text adventure
“The hold of the Vogon ship is virtually undamaged by the explosion of the glass case. You, however, are blasted into tiny bits and smeared all over the room. Several cleaning robots fly in and wipe you neatly off the walls." --Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
"There's no such thing as business ethics; there's just ethics. And ethics makes no concessions for the real or imagined necessities of making a profit."
-- Michael S. Josephson
"Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought." --Henri Bergson
"I see by the papers that the meddlesome federal government has decided that obesity is a disease. If it is, I have already discovered a cure. It's called EAT LESS." --Lyn Nofziger
posted by Martinez at 2:00 PM
6 Comments:
I think we saw, "Harvey."
Jimmy Stewart, right?
Indeed.
Bergson's quote is beyond me. It sounds clever, but let me see it in real life.
You raise an interesting point, Sharon. As with most philosophical musings, Bergson's seems to fall into the category of "wouldn't-it-be-nice-if" idealism. I think the idea behind it is twofold: (1) direct your thinking toward a purpose (don't just think for thinking's sake); and (2) don't rush headlong into things without considering the consequences. I say that not because I think you need the explanation, but to provide an example for what follows.
Clearly, such a high standard for living is beyond the capabilities of most people in most situations. The sad fact is, we're only human, and no human (who wasn't also God) has ever achieved perfection. Which raises a question: is there value in having high standards? Would more people try to live "good" lives if the standards were more achievable?
Personally, I think having unreachable standards is a good thing. Whenever people get the idea that they are perfect, they tend to become arrogant and unkind. In other words, I think that having a higher standard is conducive to a healthy dose of realistic humility.
I'm not sure if I addressed the intentions behind your comment or not. *shrugs* Sorry, I've been studying most of the day, and my mind's a little bit fried; I sometimes tend to ramble when my ming gets fried.
You have a fried ming?
Ha ha, Wilson.
Martinez, if that was rambling, that was more coherent rambling than some persons' normal conversation!
Thinking for thinking's sake... I don't believe that all thinking - or discussion - has to result in action to be justified or to accomplish something.
"The [Vogon constructor] ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don't." That was my favorite. :)
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