“We are incessantly told that past periods were very bad; and I cheerfully agree that they must have been most horribly bad, if they were really worse than the period we are asked to praise.”
G.K. Chesterton in G.K.’s Weekly January 18, 1930 quoted in “Chesterton for Today” in Gilbert: The Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton Vol. 27 #3 (Jan.-Feb. 2024)
“The man who says there are no sexes or no nations fares simply and precisely like the man who says there are no chairs and tables. He falls over them.”
G.K. Chesterton in Illustrated London News November 8, 1913 quoted in “Chesterton for Today” in Gilbert! The Magazine of the Society of G.K. Chesterton Vol. 27 #4 (March/April 2024) [and yes, he gave this warning over a century ago, yet again proving eerily prescient]
“Fat constituted a menace to his own well-being, a charge that could be brought against many people.”
Philip K. Dick VALIS [re his alter ego Horselover Fat being locked up via a “‘danger to yourself’” law]
“Dear John,/ Achieve your goals and transform your life!/ Discover the ultimate eBooks designed to foster your personal growth./ Lead yourself on an expedition to greatness, and steer your career toward success./ Overcome procrastination and eliminate unproductive habits, paving the way to the success you deserve.”
Email from “Statista Special Content” June 19, 2024 [I was equally fascinated at the thought that some ultimate eBooks could work this magical transformation, and that they were convinced I deserved it without even having met me]
“For forms of government let fools contest:/ Whate’er is best administer’d is best:/ For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight;/ His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right;/ In faith and hope the world will disagree,/ But all mankind’s concern is charity:/ All must be false that thwart this one great end,/ And all of God that bless mankind or mend.”
Alexander Pope “Essay on Man”
“I smelled victory… but tasted defeat.”
Another of mine, from June 6, 2002.
“Democrats remain stuck on what Barack Obama used to call admiring the problem…”
Susan Glasser, “Staff writer, @NewYorker”, on X 10/7/24 [specifically re Biden having gone senile thus jeopardizing the election, but clearly it applies far more widely]
“I often hear that it’s hard to know the right thing to do. No, it’s not! You always know what’s right, but sometimes it’s just very hard to do it. It’s hard because you may have to admit failure. It’s hard because the right decision may affect your friends and colleagues. It’s hard because you may not personally benefit from doing what’s right. Yeah, it’s hard. That’s called leadership. Having a set of moral principles and being a person of integrity are the most important virtues for any leader. In the simplest terms it follows the West Point Honor Code: Don’t lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those that do. This means be honest with your work force, your customers, and the public. Be fair in your business dealings. Follow the golden rule: Treat others as you would have others treat you. If this sounds a bit Pollyannaish or like you’re in Sunday School, so be it. Being a person of high integrity is what separates the great leaders from the commonplace.”
William H. McRaven The Wisdom of the Bullfrog