Quote Discussion, Current quote: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” page 19

Hopefully things won’t get too out of hand if we talk politics for a bit.

“What Washington needs is adult supervision.”

~Barack Obama

Well, Dartval…as far as talking politics goes (and to borrow from a popular line about Christmas): It tis the season. LOL

NOW, I think your quote is so obvious that it stands on its own & needs very little (NO?) “explanation”.

I would add that, in lieu of or in addition to such supervision, perhaps a “bullshit-0-meter” hung around the neck of each politician, PAC, news media person, etc. that this “meter” has in addition to the usual needle….it would also cause the lanyard to “tighten up” around the neck in correspondence w/ the “size of the lie”. Sadly, telling the truth wouldn’t actually loosen it….after all, isn’t that what we should be doing in the first place? Lying is just another form of stealing.

OH, btw…I’ve been meaning to thank ya, Dartval, for this thread. I look forward to your next quote.

well, if there is no governance, the country doesn’t collapse. everything will still go on. the people that actually run the country is not the electable part of government. not the president, not the parliament or congress, nothing like that.

so, what Obama described is just the function of government (or those parts elected by the people). not a bad description.

New quote:

“Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.”

~E. B. White

smart and crazy go hand in hand.

It does make sense that someone who sees the world differently would be more prone to genius.

Originally posted by OmegaDoom:

smart and crazy go hand in hand.

I love you too.

Back to the point, genius naturally follows on from a really high IQ, and since your intelligence level shapes not only your view of the world, but your success level in talking to others (the old saying about it being easy to talk with someone at +/- 30 IQ points from yourself comes to mind). As you gain a higher and higher IQ, you become increasingly divorced from the throng of humanity.

Unlike at the other end of the scale, where really low IQs are unable to think about various situations much, a high IQ literally can do nothing but cogitate on umpteen issues at a time. Add in to that the inability of the education system to cope with far-above-average kids, and the magnification of any trauma in formulative years, and you do get a slightly cracked individual.

Then you have to deal with the separate issue that what seems crazy to a relatively average mindset, isn’t so crazy to the mindset of another high IQ. Your intelligence alters how you behave, so to speak. For the top 2%, the geniuses, their IQ is so removed from the average, that much of their behavior may seem deranged to an onlooker of average IQ, but actually isn’t. Conversely, the high-IQ often sees the behavior of the ‘normal’ individual as bizarre to say the least.

New quote:

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

~William Butler Yeats

@vika
yeah, someone with an IQ of 105 isn’t going to have a good time surrounded by people with an IQ of around 75. similarly, someone with an IQ of 130 isn’t going to have a good time surrounded by people with an IQ of around 100. which is why high intellect people tend to make an ass of themselves in the eyes of people of average intellect.

they can’t and won’t recognise another’s superior intellect because that would make them feel stupid, and since 90% of people consider themselves to have above average intellect…they’ll just call you weird, or even stupid, and blame the communicative or behavioral difference on that — and it can’t be challenged, because doing so is bragging so you lose by default.

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

that sounds like a sociopathic war-general that favors relentlessly wasting resources in the form of lives over being efficient. aar, i don’t think i like him.

Yeah, I greatly agree w/ OD on this one, Dartval….sorry.
At lest the “_sounds like”_ part.
I mean,,,one might see that as saying: In stead of using my head to THINK of a good way to strike trough a defensive wall….I’ll just make it happen by striking my head against it.

Hopefully, what Yeats might have been trying (wanting?) to say. WAITING for the “right moment”—to strike due to “conventional wisdom” about how things should usually be done—might not be to your best advantage…, therefore, probably not as beneficial as MAKING the right moment happen at a time that bests suits your needs.

Or, in much more basic machinations: Two vultures watching animals from far aloft. One says to the other….fuck this waiting, I’m gonna go kill something.

We all know how to “wait”…
we all know how to proceed…
Knowing when to do which is the tricky part.

Originally posted by Dartval:

New quote:

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

~William Butler Yeats

Try, try, and try again.

I think he means that you must not wait for your problems to come to an end, but make the utmost to find a solution to them!

Originally posted by OmegaDoom:

@vika
yeah, someone with an IQ of 105 isn’t going to have a good time surrounded by people with an IQ of around 75. similarly, someone with an IQ of 130 isn’t going to have a good time surrounded by people with an IQ of around 100. which is why high intellect people tend to make an ass of themselves in the eyes of people of average intellect.

Yes, exactly. So when you have an IQ of for example, 170, and are in the top 2% of the curve, it becomes very difficult to talk successfully with the majority of the human race.

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

Doesn’t always work. Sometimes you have to wait until the opportune time. Its not always possible to lay all the groundwork yourself as the quote is referring to, so you have to wait somewhat until others lay the groundwork for you.

Or, ya even have to//should wait until the very plans ya’ve put into motion can develop their intended results (patience).
That still follows my point of making this “opportune time” yourself…as much as is possible under the conditions,,,including dealing w/ the machinations (cooperative rather than hostile effort—or even a “mixed bag” of the two) these others are laying down.

Few of us operate in a vacuum. At the very least, Mother Nature often can have a great effect on our “plans”. There is a Yiddish proverb: Mann traoch, Gott Lauch…Man plans, God laughs.

Originally posted by OmegaDoom:

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

that sounds like a sociopathic war-general that favors relentlessly wasting resources in the form of lives over being efficient. aar, i don’t think i like him.

That’s actually completely off. William Butler Yeats was a poet and playwright.

Yes, exactly. So when you have an IQ of for example, 170, and are in the top 2% of the curve, it becomes very difficult to talk successfully with the majority of the human race.

yes. except 130 and up is already top 2.3%. 145 is like top .2%, so 170 would be extremely more narrow than 2%. lonely ends, equally exceptional or different as people with an IQ of 30, which uhm, wouldn’t be able to whipe it’s own ass.

That’s actually completely off. William Butler Yeats was a poet and playwright.

alright, well that’s what it sounded like. in a context more relating to his profession then, he might be saying he preferes to try to make things popular rather than waiting for a fad to jump in with.

He was also a propagandist for irish revolutionaries willing to waste however many lives to succeed.

“Do not wait to strike till the iron is hot; but make it hot by striking.”

I guess they are saying that opportunity is someone’s own creation. Don’t wait until it knocks; actively seek it.

How about blowin the damn iron up?

It is only a matter of time until Iran is forced to be crushed by the allies.

Originally posted by thepunisher52:

How about blowin the damn iron up?

Are you trying to be extra-metaphoric here?

New quote:

“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.”

~Henry David Thoreau

it’s easier to be alone than to entertain friends?

First, we must see that Thoreau is talking only about himself,,,
any suggestion that such would also be “good” for others is merely inferred.

That said, I strongly agree w/ him. A house in “order” is one that is peaceful. If one has unresolved inner conflicts (a good reason for thousands of mental health professionals), they likely aren’t going to be much of a companion to others anyway.

Having we all heard: Have a good talk w/ yourself….meditation…a soul at ONE w/ itself?

All of this is NOT TO SAY that GOOD companionship w/ others isn’t also essential. It’s just that in dealing w/ OTHERS, one has many issues to contend with. Yes SOME of this can be “bad”. But, even bad can help one find and define their “core beliefs”…their self.

If I may, I’ll make a rather crude analogy about the merits of solitude: MASTERBATION.
NO ONE knows what ya like better than your self….lol

Sometimes it is far better to have space to yourself, to be in your own company for a while, alone with your thoughts. That can be far, far healthier for you than always having companions underfoot.

Neither is good to excess, of course.