“Our daily life is mostly, made of cases in which we lose money and/or time and/or energy and/or appetite, cheerfulness and good health because of the improbable action of some preposterous creature who has nothing to gain and indeed gains nothing from causing us embarrassment, difficulties or harm. Nobody knows, understands or can possibly explain why that preposterous creature does what he does. In fact there is no explanation - or better there is only one explanation: the person in question is stupid.” KnowsPersonsDoeMadeFactsActionLife IsEnergyLosesCasesStupidCreaturesGainsDifficultyHarmExplanationDaily LifeAppetiteEmbarrassmentGood HealthCheerfulnessNobody KnowsImprobable Author:Carlo M. Cipolla
“I became obsessed with making more and more tiny things. I think I was trying to find a way of compensating for my embarrassment at having learning difficulties: people had made me feel small so I wanted to show them how significant 'small' could be.” PeopleThinkingWayFeelsTryingMadeShowsWantedDifficultyTinySignificantObsessedEmbarrassmentTiny Things Author:Willard Wigan
“Everybody loves a thing more if it has cost him trouble: for instance those who have made money love money more than those who have inherited it.” IfsMadeTroubleCostDifficultyInstanceCopingLove Of Money Book:The Nicomachean ethics Source: The Nicomachean ethics
“Mathematical study and research are very suggestive of mountaineering. Whymper made several efforts before he climbed the Matterhorn in the 1860's and even then it cost the life of four of his party. Now, however, any tourist can be hauled up for a small cost, and perhaps does not appreciate the difficulty of the original ascent. So in mathematics, it may be found hard to realise the great initial difficulty of making a little step which now seems so natural and obvious, and it may not be surprising if such a step has been found and lost again.” IfsMayLittlesDoeHas BeensMadeHardSeemsScienceFoundLostNaturalPartyEffortStepsStudyFourCostResearchAppreciateDifficultyOriginalsMathematicsObviousMathematicalRealisingSurprisingInitialsTouristsMountaineeringAscentMatterhorn Author:Louis J. Mordell