Galileo

I subscribe to quotes online, and I find some are pure rubbish, and other are great philosophies which underly the workings of either our mind or human society in general.

I would like to establish a topic where people post quotes which they either think are effective or ineffective and to say something about it.

I don't know if this topic belongs or if it belongs to any of the forums, but just out of interest.

To begin with here is a quote from da Vinci in celebration of life:

"Those who don't value life, do not deserve it." Leonardo da Vinci.

This is perhaps one of the most uplifting quotes that drives me to live (or attempt to live) life to the full, to grasp life and squeeze every last drop.

Everyone needs motivation to live and to do something worthwhile, and this one just gives me the extra push that everyone needs.

It was rumoured that da Vinci never slept, and thus the quote makes a lot of sense. He was a scientist, a mathematician, a philosopher and of course a renouned artist in every respect.

The philosophy of optimism I think most importantly underlies this quote despite the spiteful

bit

But I think its that sense of provocation that gives the quote and its philosophy a daring edge.

[ June 09, 2002: Message edited by: Galileo ]</p>

LogicMania

"Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do"
-Bertrand Russell

pescifish

"Universally speaking, it is of little consequence."
- Lorenza Ezra Fish

This quote was something my grandfather wrote. My father used it occasionally, inserting the appropriate pronoun/verb combination: "it is/we are/I am". As little girl I remember looking up the words and still having a hard time understanding any meaning to this. But in time, especially considering my father's life with disability and illness, it was always appropriate for those times that our family got all worked up about something.

There is nothing that I might be worrying about that will affect the universe in any significant way.

However it is not a message of hopelessness and futility. To me, it is a message of proper understanding of my place in this life. My grandfather's philosophy was locally published and espoused a rabid personal responsibility. The importance of knowing and being one's own self, whatever that is, is life's primary purpose.

Note: sometimes the quote was "Cosmically speaking..."

Gurdur

Neat !


One writer, Jack Vance, had the following dialogue in one of his books (I can't remember the exact wording):

"And what gods do you believe in ? How do you believe the world came into existence"

"See this small rent in my coat ? It was not there yesterday, and yet I cannot explain how it came to be there today. How should I then attempt to explain the Universe ?"

Galileo

Rather reminds me of a survey posted on the newspaper of the most feared things by humans.

No.1 Public Speaking
No.2 Death

The content is a bit irrelevant but the irony, I think is similar.

Good one.

Galileo

I think this quote is very clever. the "it is" is surprising fluid and interchangeable that the quote in itself in universal (provided there is nothing outside of the universe )

I think this clever quote captures the need for all of us to cease taking everything so extremely serious and to call upon us to enjoy the little things in life.

very good

tommyc

I think it is quite sensible to fear public speaking rather than death, death is inevitable, so there is little reason to fear it. When awaiting to speak in public, you always have the option to run away and not face it. I believe it is scary to force yourself to do something you fear.

MaxMainspring

And it would mean that, faced with a situation where speaking in public was inevitable, suicide might seem like a viable option.

Mageth

I had a friend who did just that. When in officer training school, one of their last assignments was to speak in front of a group of fellow soldier trainees. Terrified of public speaking, he chose rather to jump off the 14th floor of a building (believe it or not, he survived.)

chekmate

"For love knows not it's power until it is absent"
-Can't remember

Tells me to always appreciate the people in my life.