Goethe to the Rescue (page 2)

RationalWitness

Got Goethe? Here are some more ...

Nothing hurts a new truth more than an old error.
Nothing is more revolting than the majority; for it consists of few vigorous predecessors, of knaves who accommodate themselves, of weak people who assimilate themselves, and the mass that toddles after them without knowing in the least what it wants.
Confronted by outstanding merit, there is no way of saving one's ego except by love.
Being brilliant is no great feat if you respect nothing.
When you praise someone you call yourself his equal.
Ignorant men raise questions that wise men answered a thousand years ago.
We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.
Daring ideas are like chessmen moved forward; they may be beaten, but they may start a winning game.
He alone is great and happy who requires neither to command nor to obey in order to secure his being of some importance in the world.

Thanks for bringing up a worthwhile topic, Maximus. Much better than that 'daily text' I used to straitjacket my mind with each day.

Cheers,
Rational

Maximus

Hey, Maxissimus, bearing in mind the maxim above ...

A J. Wolfgang von G quotation applicable to me these days is: "Who fights with monsters must take heed lest he become one." "Gaze not long into the abyss, for the abyss begins to gaze into you."

Heavy stuff going down, craggy veterans inside just waiting.

Maximus, neither commanding nor obeying any more.

I still have nightmares of not making it to the dining room before hearing that somber: "Read the text, please." Knorr could never understand why at the end of the year Karl K had to work furiously to produce the daily text and comments for the yb. Told me, "All Karl has to do is one a day, or two every other day, and he would have them done at the end of the year." Karl, of course, professed doing his best work under pressure.

-

hawkaw

Truth is a torch but a tremendous one. That is why we hurry past it, shielding our eyes, indeed, in fear of getting burned

It is amasing what fear will do.

hawk

circe

Here are some of my favorite philosophical quotes:

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it. - Helen Keller

As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of being. - Carl G. Jung

Life is short and we have never too much time for gladdening the hearts of those who are traveling the dark journey with us. Oh, be swift to love, make haste to be kind! - Henri Amiel

Pursue some path, howver narrow and crooked, in which you can walk with love and reverence. - Henry David Thoreau

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities. - Aldous Huxley

It is preoccupation with possession, more than anything else that prevents men from living freely and nobly. - Bertrand Russell

You'd think that self-knowledge would be fairly easy. After all, we have constant and immediate access to the quarry of our investigations. - Tom Morris

If a man speaks in the forest, and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong? - Unknown author (Please realize that this quote pokes just as much fun at women as it does at men!)

circe

RationalWitness

Hi Circe!

Here's another quote from Henri Amiel:

We are always making God our accomplice, that so we may legalize our own iniquities.

BTW, in response to your last quote/question, The Mrs. informs me that I would still be wrong, even if she were not there to remind me. ;^)

Cheers,
Rational

Had Enough

Hello Maximus:

Please,Please, Please, don't banish us to the likes of Duns. I've stopped reading anything he posts just because like Mommie Dark describes he is like that pesky mosquito whose only affect on you is annoyance. I look at his words, or perhaps it is the arrogant tone in which they are written, as the cringing one does at hearing the sound fingernails running down a chalkboard.

I appreciate these thoughts...and the ones others have been prompted to supply.

I'm sure I am joined by many, when I say we have a high regard for the efforts you and your collegues are putting forth to "capture the mighty monster" these days.

That's why I began using the quotation of Margaret Mead in my signature. Her words rather sums up what is going on now and I have no doubt change will be brought about by this "small group of citizens"...(changing not the "world" but that which is trying to rule it and beat it into submission)

Had Enough

"Never doubt that a small group of citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."...Margaret Mead

waiting

Howdy Max,

Since we've started a quote thread going on - I found this quote some time ago, and it just stunned me:

"All propaganda must be popular and its intellectual level must be adjusted to the most limited intelligence among those it is addressed to." wrote Hitler. "Propaganda which only aims at intelligent people will not accomplish anything. If you demand intelligence from the public, if you expect them to rise to a higher level, you will be disappointed." - Adolf Hitler

Another which is similar is:

It's not enough for me to have the intelligent vote of this country. I need the majority. Adlaid Stevenson

waiting

Hey Max!

I betcha when you see your thoughtful thread back up at the top, you'll think "well, thank gawd, someone here has some brains."

Ha........

Sometimes when reading Goethe I have the paralysing suspicion that he is trying to be funny. Guy Davenport

waiting

Big Tex

Truth is a torch but a tremendous one. That is why we hurry past it, shielding our eyes, indeed, in fear of getting burned

Getting burned? Or perhaps it is fear of the light exposing something we want hidden.

Phantom Stranger

Nice post, maximus.

COMF, I'd rather live life as if I don't have limits and be wrong, than act as if I do and be right.

Now, I know this statement could be taken to the level of the ridiculous, and that's not what I mean. But far, far too often, we THINK we know our limits, and we are wrong. Too often, we decide that we're not capable of things that we see others doing - and if they can do it, usually we can too.

Someone once asked Henry Ford how to be more successful, and he replied, "Double your failure rate".

Goethe to the Rescue

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