Quotations and Aphorisms

"We want to stand upon our own feet and look fair and square at the world -- its good facts, its bad facts, its beauties, and its ugliness; see the world as it is and be not afraid of it. Conquer the world by intelligence and not merely by being slavishly subdued by the terror that comes from it."

- Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), From Why I am not a Christian, 3/6/1927

"Once we see clearly how highly we value beauty, health, honor and pride, surely nothing can prevent us from paying a corresponding regard to them. It may seem painful to any sensitive spirit to have to balance spiritual goods against material. But that is not the fault of monetary calculation; it lies in the very nature of things themselves. Even where judgments of value can be established directly without computation in value or in money, the necessity of choosing between material and spiritual satisfaction cannot be evaded. "

- Mises, 1920, Economic Calculation in the Socialist Commonwealth

Where the light is brightest, the shadows are deepest.

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832)

[another credit to Anu Garg, at A-Word-A-Day]

We establish no religion in this country. We command no worship. We mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are and must remain separate.

- Ronald Reagan, 40th US President (1911-2004)

[credit to Anu Garg and A-Word-A-Day for the reference.

The first law of the universe:

Every action has both intended and unintended consequences.    The intended consequences may or may not happen; the unintended consequences always happen.

The second law of the universe:

Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex, intelligent behavior.  Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple, stupid behavior.

[found hanging on the wall at the office]