Finding Solace in Favourite Quotes: Escaping Despair with Words of Wisdom

[Nugatory]

"Data" is not the plural of "anecdote"

 

[Borg]

"Data" is not the plural of "anecdote"

Damn, there goes all my anecdotal research.

 

[OmCheeto]

Sometimes, you have to stop thinking outside of the box, because the **** outside of the box, is just wrong.

in response to my cousin saying; "Not fair!"

When she thought she had the correct answer to:

 

[lisab]

in response to my cousin saying; "Not fair!"

When she thought she had the correct answer to:

Spoiler

79? or is that too obvious

 

[Enigman]

I refute the earlier conclusions and maintain that 117=117.
or...

Spoiler

69...tens digit in serial and ones digit as a sum of the digits in LHS
or the easy 79.

But as I hate that show I refute that reasoning too.
P.S. I is a cat killer. Do not think inside the box...I loves opening them.

 

[OmCheeto]

Spoiler

79? or is that too obvious

That's what 99% of the people who answer come up with.

Only 1% come up with

Spoiler

117 = 117. The rest are all wrong, duh.

But I believe the original author wanted your answer.

The maths nerds complained that he shouldn't have used the equal signs in the puzzle.

 

[OmCheeto]

I refute the earlier conclusions and maintain that 117=117.
or...

Spoiler

69...tens digit in serial and ones digit as a sum of the digits in LHS
or the easy 79.

But as I hate that show I refute that reasoning too.
P.S. I is a cat killer. Do not think inside the box...I loves opening them.

I've never seen the show, and think the image is photoshopped.

Good job getting 117.

 

[Enigman]

Experience is the comb life gives you after you lose your hair.

 

[Enigman]

There are two kinds of folks who sit around thinking about how to kill people: psychopaths and mystery writers. I'm the kind that pays better.
-Richard Castle
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1219024/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt

 

[NATURE.M]

The worlds smartest man poses no more threat to me than its smartest termite.
-Dr Manhattan

 

[Enigman]

I've never seen the show, and think the image is photoshopped.

The Blackboard thread confirmed it:

 

[Enigman]

Life is thickly sown with thorns, and I know no other remedy than to pass quickly through them. The longer we dwell on our misfortunes, the greater is their power to harm us.
Voltaire

 

[Enigman]

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

 

[The Dog Star]

"If all economists were laid end to end they still wouldn't reach a conclusion."

George Bernard Shaw.


"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."

--Herman Goering at the Nuremberg Trials

Both memorable for various reasons.

And another favourite apposite remark:

"String Theorists don't make predictions they just make excuses."

R.P.Feynman.

And another more prescient remark.

"Some day, following the example of the United States of America, there will be a United States of Europe."

George Washington

"These capitalists generally act harmoniously and in concert, to fleece the people."

Abraham Lincoln

"I'd rather have the banks in front of me and the confederate army behind me."

Abraham Lincoln.

Abe on banking and capitalism. Oh Abraham you don't know how right you were.

 

[Nugatory]

From our own AlephZero:

In "English units" (which are no longer used in England in science and engineering, so they really ought to be called "stupid American units" IMHO)...

 

[OmCheeto]

From our own AlephZero:

I'm going to have to change my favorite quote from

The world will be a better place, when all these old stupid people, die.

to

The world will be a better place, when all these old people still using stupid American units, die.

 

[Lisa!]

From our own AlephZero:

It was funny!
Where did he say that?

 

[AlephZero]

From our own AlephZero:

And to justify the assertion, here's another quote from PF - though maybe it should be in the "lame jokes" thread. Probably best left anonymous...

Power and torque are the same at 5252rpm.

If you only use sensible units and don't get the joke, don't worry about it!

 

[sankalpmittal]

"Despair, like the bleak winter fades away." It has been written by me. -_-"

Yes! Seriously by me! Sorry. Just turned hyper. Have been philosophising since.. =_=".

 

[lendav_rott]

"Thou shalt not bring up philosophy in this community"

 

[robsharp14]

Innocence is not a starting position in life, or in crime - it is a stage of emotional intelligence in a spectrum of experience.

 

[robsharp14]

No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up thankful for your life, because someone somewhere is desperately fighting for theirs.

 

[robsharp14]

Sometimes accepting that a situation has moved past the point of salvage isn't giving up. It's growing up.

 

[robsharp14]

Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.

 

[robsharp14]

Perception is a clash of mind and eye, the eye believing what it sees, the mind seeing what it believes.

 

[1MileCrash]

My number one of all time, truly magnificent quote:

"If any man is unhappy, let him remember that he is unhappy by reason of himself alone."
Epictetus


and the rest:

"If you work at that which is before you, following right reason seriously, vigorously, calmly without allowing anything else to distract you, but keeping your divine part pure, as if you might be bound to give it back immediately; if you hold to this, expecting nothing, fearing nothing, but satisfied with your present activity according to nature, you will be happy. And there is no man who is able to prevent this."
Marcus Aurelius

"You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength."
Marcus Aurelius

"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power or our will."
Epictetus

"There is no person so severely punished, as those who subject themselves to the whip of their own remorse."
Seneca the Younger

"How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it."
Marcus Aurelius

"First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do."
Epictetus

"All cruelty springs from weakness."
Seneca the Younger

"Any person capable of angering you becomes your master; he can anger you only when you permit yourself to be disturbed by him."
Epictetus

There are too many to list. I would quote Epictetus' Discourses, M. Aurelius's Meditations, and Seneca's Letters in their entirety.

 

[lendav_rott]

"All cruelty springs from weakness."
Seneca the Younger

double that

 

[Chronos]

If you see only one possible answer, you failed to comprehend the question - Karl Popper.

 

[td21]

“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

 

[OmCheeto]

I have often said elsewhere what I wish to repeat here, that Mr. Lincoln was not only a great President, but a GREAT MAN--too great to be small in anything. In his company I was never in any way reminded of my humble origin, or of my unpopular color.

--- Frederick Douglass

 

[drizzle]

When you are in love, you meet with the universe' motion. For the morning breaths with love. The sun shines with love. The flower opens with love.. Congrats for the universal meeting!

- Mohammed Al Dehaim

 

[Ripley]

"I'm going to hit you so hard that when you wake up, your clothes will be out of style"

Bit silly but makes me smile everytime!

 

[OmCheeto]

Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.

― Arundhati Roy

 

[Lisa!]

Rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength.

- jim hardy

 

[jim hardy]

Thanks Lisa! - but I should have credited Eric Hoffer... [sheepish grin icon]

 

[OmCheeto]

Sharing favorite quotes, is an acknowledgment, that some people are much better at expressing what you've known for a long time, better than you can.

Thank you Lisa!, and jim hardy.

 

[reenmachine]

One of my favorite , from Nietzsche:

"When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

 

[Enigman]

"People talk a lot and yet oft say naught."

 

[Enigman]

One of my favorite , from Nietzsche:

"When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you."

Hmmm...seems I knew a paraphrased version of it:
Peer not into the darkness for it peers back into you.

 

[epenguin]

"People talk a lot and yet oft say naught."

Hmmm...seems I knew a paraphrased version of it:
Peer not into the darkness for it peers back into you.

The original would have been in German leaving it to judgement and inspiration of translator understanding whole essay or book, what English wording best renders.

 

[OmCheeto]

The original would have been in German leaving it to judgement and inspiration of translator understanding whole essay or book, what English wording best renders.

The original book is available in both German and English at Gutenberg.

146.
Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum
Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der
Abgrund auch in dich hinein.

My attempt at a translation of the first sentence:
"Who struggles with monsters, wishes, that they themselves do not become monsters".

I refuse to attempt a translation of his "Abgrund/Abyss" phrase, as it is not clear to me, as a non-Nietzschean, how it relates to the first sentence. Though, reading about him for the last two hours, it appears he didn't think highly of many people, if any at all, other than himself.

hmmm...

how about this:

"When you gaze long into the eyes of an idiot you are arguing with, they will gaze back".

 

[mfb]

"Abgrund" (abyss) is used in the same way as in "Abgründe der Seele" ("abyss of your soul"?).

 

[jim hardy]

Though, reading about him for the last two hours, it appears he didn't think highly of many people, if any at all, other than himself.

Not to demean the man,,,,

You'd enjoy "My Sister and I" which his family still insists he did not write.
One liner that i remember best is to effect "No, i do not think i am God. That would be a demotion."

regardless who actually wrote it, it is rich in outrageous humor.

 

[epenguin]

The original book is available in both German and English at Gutenberg.

Er, how can they both be "the original"?

 

[DevilsAvocado]

"When you gaze long into the eyes of an idiot you are arguing with, they will gaze back".

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me?

Seriously, this was interesting.

Ich spreche nicht sehr gut German, ja, aber some words are very close to the Swedish-svenskö-mumbo-jumbo language like; Abgrund --> Avgrund etc.

The word monster is the same in German/English/Swedish, but Nietzsche uses the word Ungeheuer, which afaik is more like behemoth/beast/cryptid... (or 'the second beast' = false prophet = impostor?)

Here's my try:

"Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehen, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein."

"He who fights with beasts should make sure, that in the process, he becomes not a beast. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into thee."


Devils Epilog:

Thou who fight with German geniuses, make sure before wasting too much time, that the man whose work you've gazed too long into, is not gazing into thee with a megalomaniac nutcase stare.

What are we to think of Nietzsche's doctrines? How far are they true? Are they in any degree useful? Is there in them anything objective, or are they the mere power-phantasies of an invalid?
[...]
Nevertheless there is a great deal in him that must be dismissed as merely megalomaniac.
[...]
It is obvious that in his day-dreams he is a warrior, not a professor; all the men he admires were military. His opinion of women, like every man's, is an objectification of his own emotion towards them, which is obviously one of fear.
[...]
It never occurred to Nietzsche that the lust for power, with which he endows his superman, is itself an outcome of fear. Those who do not fear their neighbours see no necessity to tyrannize over them. Men who have conquered fear have not the frantic quality of Nietzsche's 'artist-tyrant' Neros, who try to enjoy music and massacre while their hearts are filled with dread of the inevitable palace revolution. I will not deny that, partly as a result of his teaching, the real world has become very like his nightmare, but that does not make it any the less horrible.

Bertrand Russell was a cool dude.

 

[OmCheeto]

Seriously, this was interesting.

Ich spreche nicht sehr gut German, ja, aber some words are very close to the Swedish-svenskö-mumbo-jumbo language like; Abgrund --> Avgrund etc.

The word monster is the same in German/English/Swedish, but Nietzsche uses the word Ungeheuer, which afaik is more like behemoth/beast/cryptid... (or 'the second beast' = false prophet = impostor?)

Here's my try:

"Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehen, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich hinein."

"He who fights with beasts should make sure, that in the process, he becomes not a beast. And when you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into thee."


Devils Epilog:

Thou who fight with German geniuses, make sure before wasting too much time, that the man whose work you've gazed too long into, is not gazing into thee with a megalomaniac nutcase stare.

Bertrand Russell was a cool dude.

We are one tonight.

Russell rules!

----------------------------
ps. I dreaded sharing this Nietzsche thread/thought with my Russian friend today.

But I did, and it turned out fine.

He basically said; "Nietzsche, liked to **** with peoples heads"

 

[Enigman]

One should respect public opinion insofar as is necessary to avoid starvation and keep out of prison, but anything that goes beyond this is voluntary submission to an unnecessary tyranny.
-Russell

 

[DevilsAvocado]

Russell rules!

Yup! :thumbs:

He basically said; "Nietzsche, liked to **** with peoples heads"

Ваш товарищ прав.

Not only did he **** with people's heads, he also imploded his own... hmm, I wonder if there's some "Hillbilly logic" going on here... Nietzsche lived to be 55, Russell lived to 97...

"Evil kills you before you know it." ― Avocado on the run (in Mexico:D)​

 

[DevilsAvocado]

"The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt." ― Bertrand Russell

"The above proposition is occasionally useful." ― Bertrand Russell


(... Bertrand walks the talk ... :D)

 

[OmCheeto]

Reviewing his own book, A History of Western Philosophy

...to my mind, a man without bias cannot write interesting history — if, indeed, such a man exists.

There were some nasty reviews. The only names I recognized were Einstein's and Schrödinger's. They both gave it a thumbs up.

Never in my life would I have guessed that I would want to waste my time and money on a book about Philosophy. hmmm... As usual, Joni was right.

But now old friends are acting strange
They shake their heads, they say I've changed
Well something's lost, but something's gained
In living every day