“Innovators and creators are persons who can to a higher degree than average accept the condition of aloneness. They are more willing to follow their own vision, even when it takes them far from the mainland of the human community. Unexplored places do not frighten them- or not, at any rate, as much as they frighten those around them. This is one of the secrets of their power. That which we call genius has a great deal to do with courage and daring, a great deal to do with nerve.” HumansPersonsCommunityDealsSecretAcceptingVisionConditionsWillingGeniusHigherDegreesRateAverageCreatorNervesDaringInnovatorsUnexplored Author:Nathaniel Branden
“The difference between the best worker on computer hardware and the average may be 2 to 1, if you're lucky. With automobiles, maybe 2 to 1. But in software, it's at least 25 to 1. The difference between the average programmer and a great one is at least that. The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world. And when you're in a field where the dynamic range is 25 to 1, boy, does it pay off.” PeopleIfsWorldMayDoeDifferencesPaySecretBoysGoneFieldsLuckyComputerWorkersAverageRangeLengthSoftwareExceptionalAutomobileProgrammersGreat OnesHardwareSecret Of My Success Author:Steve Jobs
“There is a limited elite that understands the secrets of their own techniques, but not necessarily of all techniques. These men are close to the seat of modern governmental power. The state is no longer founded on the 'average citizen', but on the ability and knowledge of this elite. The average man is altogether unable to penetrate technical secrets or governmental organization and consequently can exert no influence at all on the state.” MenStatesAbilitySecretInfluenceModernCitizensOrganizationAverageTechniqueSeatsElitesPenetrateAverage ManMental Power Author:Jacques Ellul
“The dirty little secret of publishing is that, all along, each book sold has had an average of 5 readers. That's an 80% "piracy" rate if you insist on looking at it in those terms.” IfsLittlesBookTermSecretReaderRateAverageDirtyPublishingPiracy Author:Charles Stross
“The major problem of our time is the decay in the belief in personal immortality, and it cannot be dealt with while the average human being is either drudging like an ox or shivering in fear of the secret police... How right [the working classes] are to realize that the belly comes before the soul, not in the scale of values but in point of time!” HumansSoulProblemValuesBeliefRealizingHuman BeingsSecretClassMajorsPoliceAverageScalesImmortalityOur TimeDecayWorking ClassBellyMajor ProblemsSecret Police Book:Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays Source: Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays