“We come here because we too feel a responsibility for the human community. To preserve and develop a human quality of life is the common responsibility of us all. It is not fitting that those concerned with the various aspects of the human be alienated from each other. Both you and ourselves represent forces too profound and aim at objectives too significant for either of us to succeed completely without the assistance of the other. The urgency of our work impels us to get on with our common task lest a new period of disaster erupt over the Earth.” FeelsHumansEarthLife IsForceCommunityCommonQualityResponsibilityPeriodsSucceedConcernedAspectTasksAimProfoundVariousDisasterSignificantObjectivesPreservesAssistanceQuality Of LifeFittingUrgencyHuman QualitiesNot Fitting Author:Thomas Berry
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the industrial revolution. That will not happen overnight and it will not happen at a single conference on climate change, be it COP 15, 21, 40 - you choose the number. It just does not occur like that. It is a process, because of the depth of the transformation.” YearsFirstsDoeHas BeensHappensProcessNumbersEconomicMankindRevolutionDevelopmentPeriodsModelsFirst TimeTasksTransformationClimateDepthClimate ChangeSettingSettingsDefinedYou ChooseCopConferencesEconomic DevelopmentIndustrial Revolution Author:Christiana Figueres
“We tend to overestimate what we can do in a short period, and underestimate what we can do over a long period, provided we work slowly and consistently. Anthony Trollope, the nineteenth-century writer who managed to be a prolific novelist while also revolutionizing the British postal system, observed, “A small daily task, if it be really daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” Over the long run, the unglamorous habit of frequency fosters both productivity and creativity.” IfsLongRunningCan DoCreativityCenturyHabitPeriodsBeatsTasksBritishProductivityNovelistsLabourLong RunsConsistentlyUnderestimateFrequencyNineteenth CenturyOverestimateDaily Tasks Author:Gretchen Rubin
“Psychohistory, as a science, will always be problem-centered, while history will always remain period-centered. They are simply two different tasks.” TwoDifferentProblemPeriodsTasks Book:The New Psychohistory Source: The New Psychohistory
“Deep attention, the cognitive style traditionally associated with the humanities, is characterized by concentrating on a single object for long periods (say, a novel by Dickens), ignoring outside stimuli while so engaged, preferring a single information stream, and having a high tolerance for long focus times. Hyper attention is characterized by switching focus rapidly among different tasks, preferring multiple information streams, seeking a high level of stimulation, and having a low tolerance for boredom.” LongDifferentHumanityLevelsAttentionNovelFocusStyleInformationObjectsPeriodsLowsTasksSeekingToleranceEngagedStreamsBoredomMultipleStimulusConcentratingCognitiveHigh LevelDickensStimulationHyperSwitching Author:N. Katherine Hayles
“I write from the place of inquiry. The first draft is a discovery period to see what I know and what I don't know. My task is simply to follow the words. There are surprises along the way. I just have to get it down. Call it the sculptor's clay.” KnowsWayWritingFirstsPeriodsDiscoveryTasksSurpriseInquiryClaySculptors Author:Terry Tempest Williams
“I hold this to be the highest task of a bond between two people: that each shall stand guard over the solitude of the other. For, if it lies in the nature of indifference and of the crowd to recognize no solitude, then love and friendship are there for the purpose of continually providing the opportunity for solitude. And only those are the true sharings which rhythmically interrupt periods of deep isolation.” PeopleIfsTwoLyingPurposeOpportunityPeriodsSolitudeHighestTasksCrowdsIndifferenceIsolationProvidingLove And Friendship Book:Selected Letters Source: Selected Letters
“The ability to focus on a single task for an extended period is a talent that’s underappreciated - especially by extroverts, who continue to exercise an unhealthy hegemony over most workplaces.” AbilityFocusTalentPeriodsExerciseTasksWorkplaceUnhealthyHegemonyExtroverts Author:Kevin Drum