“Of all the major religions, or lack thereof, the atheist's is one of the best pretenders: his foundation for all existences, as well as moral behaviors for the permanent good of mankind, begins at science but ends at himself, the Napoleon complex of both intelligence and imagination. On the other hand the anti-theist wouldn't survive without a deity beyond himself to hunt. He doesn't pretend, he simply nullifies his own position.” WellsEndsHandsImaginationExistenceMoralMankindPositionBehaviorMajorsFoundationComplexesAtheistPermanentHuntsDeitiesTheismTheistPretenderMoral BehaviorNapoleon Complex Book:Killosophy Source: Killosophy
“Oppression tries to defend itself by its utility. But we have seen that it is one of the lies of the serious mind to attempt to give the word "useful" an absolute meaning; nothing is useful if it is not useful to man; nothing is useful to man if the latter is not in a position to define his own ends and values, if he is not free.” IfsMenGivingTryingMindEndsLyingValuesPositionSeriousAbsolutesOppressionLatterUtilityMeaning Nothing Book:The Ethics of Ambiguity Source: The Ethics of Ambiguity
“I have often been amused by our vulgar tendency to take complex issues, with solutions at neither extreme of a continuum of possibilities, and break them into dichotomies, assigning one group to one pole and the other to an opposite end, with no acknowledgment of subtleties and intermediate positions and nearly always with moral opprobrium attached to opponents.” EndsMoralBreakIssuesGroupsPossibilityPositionSolutionsOppositesComplexesExtremesTendenciesOpponentsVulgarSubtletyAmusedContinuumDichotomyAcknowledgment Book:The Flamingo's Smile: Reflections in Natural History Source: The Flamingo's Smile: Reflections in Natural History
“Seeing clearly within himself and always able to dodge around the ends of any position, including his own, Shaw assumed from the start the dual role of prophet and gadfly. To his contemporaries it appeared frivolous and contradictory to perform as both superman and socialist, sceptic and believer, legalist and heretic, high-brow and mob-orator. But feeling the duty to teach as well as to mirror mankind, Shaw did not accept himself as a contradictory being.” WellsEndsFeelingsAbleAcceptingRolesTeachSeeingMankindPositionDutyMirrorsIncludingBelieverProphetSocialistContradictoryBrowsHereticFrivolousOratorsDodgeScepticGadflies Author:Jacques Barzun
“If we repeatedly read the Bible without the help of the Holy Spirit, it tends to reinforce our own prejudices and rock-hard doctrinal positions. We end up merely finding ammunition for what we already believe. We become so spiritually proud, so convinced of our own positions, that the Spirit is hindered in helping us to grow in the things of God.” IfsBelieveEndsHardGodHelpingChristianSpiritualSpiritFaithReadingBeliefGrowsReligiousLordRocksPositionProudBecomingHolyFindingsBiblePrejudiceConvincedChristian InspirationalDoctrineHoly SpiritPastorAmmunition Author:Jim Cymbala
“Such was the end of Philip (II, king of Macedonia) ...He had ruled 24 years. He is known to fame as one who with but the slenderest resources to support his claim to a throne won for himself the greatest empire among the Hellenes (Greeks), while the growth of his position was not due so much to his prowess in arms as to his adroitness and cordiality in diplomacy.” YearsEndsGrowthKnownSupportPositionArmsKingsFameResourcesClaimsDuesGreekEmpiresThronesDiplomacyPhilipProwessMacedoniaCordiality Author:Diodorus Siculus
“We cannot continue to have an excellence gap with the rest of the world and intend to remain the [economic superpower] and [military superpower] of the planet. That's just not going to happen. We're in a position where unless we take action, we'll end up being the [France] of the 21st century: a lot of talk, but not a lot of strength behind it in terms of economic capability.” WorldEndsHappensActionTermBehindsEconomicCenturyMilitaryPositionPlanetsExcellenceFranceGapsCapability21st CenturySuperpower Author:Mitt Romney
“If the amount of money going into the war economy were invested in landscape restoration, we would be in a far more positive position. It may get a little dire before we pull together, but I think when the prosperous nations, and in particular the US, realise they're wrecking their own kids' lives, there will be a mass change in value. It will be a difficult century, and ugly, but I don't think that in the end people are so stupid as to kill themselves off.” PeopleIfsThinkingMayLittlesWarEndsWould BeKidsTogetherValuesNationsDifficultEconomyCenturyStupidPositionParticularAmountMassUglyLandscapeRealisingProsperousRestoration Author:Kim Stanley Robinson
“The Sixth Army, true to their oath and conscious of the lofty importance of their mission, have held their position to the last man and the last round for Führer and Fatherland unto the end.” MenEndsLastsPositionConsciousImportanceArmyRoundsMissionsOathLoftyFatherland Author:Friedrich Paulus