Words Worth Noting - November 13, 2024

“In today’s broken world, especially with its broken education system, which is part of the reason for the broken world, nothing very great is being achieved. In fact, nearly nothing at all is being achieved when students can’t even achieve basic skills in reading, writing, and arithmetic, much less studying great works of literature and philosophy, and learning the art of reason. The lack of achievement is because students are not being taught to focus on a truth that is outside of themselves. They’re being taught to focus on themselves – on their identity, on their rights and their entitlements, and are not taught anything to benefit their unformed and unfilled minds. In the meantime, they have a hunger for truth and goodness and beauty, and it is completely unsatisfied in a system that is designed to starve them of these things. As a result, they are left angry and depressed, but also inarticulate – because they have not been taught to be articulate – so they cannot even express their frustration. And they collapse into their lonely inner world.”

David Warren in Ottawa Citizen Nov. 29, 2006

Words Worth Noting - November 12, 2024

“Everyone pretends to be strong, everyone pretends to be wise, and in the wonderful motto of Robert Musil, ‘if it were not so hard to distinguish stupidity from talent, progress, hope, or improvement, no one would want to be stupid.’”

David Warren in Ottawa Citizen July 31, 2004 [prompted by something Bill Clinton said to the DNC about being strong and smart]

Famous quotes, LifeJohn Robson
Words Worth Noting - November 10, 2024

“Devil-worshipping Polish influencer ‘Satan’s doll’ charged with hacking parents to death with machete”

From Human Events March 4, 2024 and my “Who saw that one coming?” file [https://humanevents.com/2024/03/04/devil-worshipping-polish-influencer-satans-doll-charged-with-hacking-parents-to-death-with-machete]