“Ideals are very often formed in the effort to escape from the hard task of dealing with facts, which is the function of science and art. There is no process by which to reach an ideal. There are no tests by which to verify it. It is therefore impossible to frame a proposition about an ideal which can be proved or disproved. It follows that the use of ideals is to be strictly limited to proper cases, and that the attempt to use ideals in social discussion does not deserve serious consideration.” DoeArtHardFactsUseSocialProcessEffortCasesImpossibleSeriousDeserveIdealsTasksTestsFunctionDiscussionConsiderationPropositionsArt And ScienceVerify Book:Folkways: A Study of Mores, Manners, Customs and Morals Source: Folkways: A Study of Mores, Manners, Customs and Morals
“To play with baubles is our ambition, not to deal with grave questions in a spirit of serious energy. But while we are playing with baubles, with our Legislative Councils, our Simultaneous Examinations, our ingenious schemes for separating the judicial from the executive functions, - while we, I say, are finessing about trifles, the waters of the great deep are being stirred and that surging chaos of the primitive man over which our civilised societies are superimposed on a thin crust of convention, is being strangely and ominously agitated.” MenPlaySpiritEnergyWaterDealsSeriousAmbitionFunctionChaosGravesExecutivesConventionsPrimitiveSchemesCouncilExaminationTriflesJudicialIngeniousSeparatingCivilisedSimultaneousPrimitive ManCivilised Society Author:Sri Aurobindo
“A silly comedy needs a straight guy, and that guy needs to be as straight as possible. The moment you start playing straight you're not straight anymore, you're bent straight, so it really requires the usual serious, straight-forward analysis and research, looking into it and finding the dramatic function, all of what you do until you feel you've collected enough points to safely and securely play the part.” NeedsFeelsEnoughPlayMomentsGuyComedySeriousFindingsResearchFunctionSillyAnalysisDramaticUsualBentThat Guy Author:Christoph Waltz
“It's impossible to overvalue the importance of television - both in its serious and less serious functions. It's one of our most important ways of finding out the truth - and also of changing the world, and finding out what in the world needs changing. It's also an immense bringer of joy - I learnt how to laugh through television, and now my children and I, every day of every week, share the joy and stupidity of TV shows - they actually make us HAPPY” WorldWayNeedsChildrenImportantShowsJoyLaughingImpossibleWeekShareTelevisionSeriousTvsFindingsFunctionImportanceStupidityMy ChildrenChanging The WorldImmenseTv ShowsFinding Out The Truth Author:Richard Curtis
“Physical fitness is vital for the optimal function of the brain, for retardation of the onset of serious arteriosclerosis which is beginning to appear in early adult life, and for longevity, and a useful and healthy life for our older citizens.” BrainSeriousCitizensHealthyAdultsFunctionLongevityHealthy LifeOptimalPhysical Fitness Author:Paul Dudley White
“Cities should function more like ecosystems, or even metabolisms. When we build, we should be thinking about how we can integrate into the ecosystems around us, but without sacrificing all the niceties of civilization like good restaurants, concert halls, and high-speed Internet access. I'm saying that partly tongue-in-cheek, but I'm also deadly serious. The future of technology is sustainable ecology.” ThinkingShouldCitiesTechnologySacrificeSeriousInternetCivilizationFunctionTongueSpeedAccessRestaurantsHallsConcertsCheeksEcologyIntegratingEcosystemsHigh SpeedMetabolismNicetiesTongue In CheekInternet Access Author:Annalee Newitz
“The current Eurozone is obviously dysfunctional. And serious people within Germany and elsewhere know this to be the case and know things cannot function this way forever.” PeopleKnowsWayCasesForeverSeriousFunctionCurrentsGermanyElsewhereEurozone Author:Tariq Ali
“Fear of serious injury alone cannot justify oppression of free speech and assembly. Men feared witches and burnt women. It is the function of speech to free men from the bondage of irrational fears.” MenReligionFearAtheismSeriousSpeechFunctionOppressionInjuryJustifyWitchFree SpeechIrrationalBondageAssemblyFree ManIrrational Fear Author:Louis D. Brandeis
“Eiffel saw his Tower in the form of a serious object, rational, useful; men return it to him in the form of a great baroque dream which quite naturally touches on the borders of the irrational ... architecture is always dream and function, expression of a utopia and instrument of a convenience.” MenDreamFormSawsObjectsSeriousExpressionReturnFunctionInstrumentsArchitectureRationalBordersTowersIrrationalConvenienceUtopiaBaroqueEiffel Book:The Eiffel Tower and Other Mythologies Source: The Eiffel Tower and Other Mythologies
“But Jesus has been depicted as a serious man. And Christians say he never laughed. Then what is the function of an Enlightened man? If Jesus cannot laugh, then who is going to laugh in this world?” IfsMenWorldHas BeensChristianJesusChristLaughingThis WorldSeriousJesus ChristFunctionEnlightenedLaughedSerious Man Author:Rajneesh
“It's important, therefore, to know who the real enemy is, and to know the function, the very serious function of racism, which is distraction. It keeps you from doing your work. It keeps you explaining over and over again, your reason for being. Somebody says you have no language and so you spend 20 years proving that you do. Somebody says your head isn't shaped properly so you have scientists working on the fact that it is. Someone says you have no art so you dredge that up. Somebody says you have no kingdoms and so you dredge that up. None of that is necessary. There will always be one more thing.” YearsArtReasonFactsLanguageSeriousProveRacismScientistFunctionTwentiesKingdomsWorking ItDistractionExplaining Author:Toni Morrison
“The arts have always served relationships between people of different cultures so well. In a way, the arts function as a very serious kind of ambassador.” PeopleWayWellsKindArtDifferentCultureCreativitySeriousFunctionAmbassadorsDifferent Cultures Author:Herbie Hancock