Category: Quotations

QUOTE: “There are two circumstances we should always keep simultaneously in mind…”

There are two circumstances we should always keep simultaneously in mind. First, if the new generations had not continually revolted against inherited tradition, we would still be living in caves. Second, if revolt against inherited tradition should become universal, we would soon be back in caves.

Leszek Kołakowski

A little bit of a caveat here. I only found one second-hand source for this quote, which normally makes me a bit nervous of the authenticity of it. All the same, such an interesting insight.

Header Image: Such a beautiful river, flowing down a beautiful valley in the Lake District. If you know me, you can probably guess where it is.

QUOTE: “Every decision that impacts our lives will be made by…”

“Every decision that impacts our lives will be made by the person who has the power to make that decision – not the ‘right’ person, or the ‘smartest’ person, or the ‘best’ person. Make peace with this fact.“

Marshall Goldsmith

Header Image: A local cornfield on a gorgeous even after a swim in the river.

QUOTE: “Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production-oriented society, and doing nothing is…

“Thinking is generally thought of as doing nothing in a production-oriented society, and doing nothing is hard to do. It’s best done by disguising it as doing something, and the something closest to doing nothing is walking.”

Rebecca Solnit, Wanderlust: A History of Walking

Header Image: The receding tide on Lindisfarne, Holy Island. In the background is the castle.

Quote: “Leave the door open to the unknown, that’s where…

Leave the door open for the unknown, that’s where the important things come from… for, to acknowledge the unknown is part of knowledge.

Rebecca Solnit, A Field Guide to Getting Lost

Header Image: This is some of the local Blackthorn blossom. It explodes into this wonderful white for a few days and then is gone. It’s leaving is often hastened by a spring storm, but not this year, so it has been glorious.

Quote: “The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in…”

The difficulty lies not so much in developing new ideas as in escaping from old ones.

John Maynard Keynes

Header Image: This is Haweswater. It’s a reservoir with a history. Below these still waters lie the remains of the village of Mardale which were flooded to provide water to the growing city of Manchester via a 56 mile long aqueduct.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something…

You never change things by fighting the existing reality.
To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

Buckminster Fuller

Header Image: We’ve had some wonderful spring mornings recently. This is one from today’s morning walk.

“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and…

“In the universe, there are things that are known, and things that are unknown, and in between, there are doors.”

William Blake

Header Image: This is a view from near Jenny Brown’s point in Silverdale, not far from Walduck’s Wall. It seemed an appropriate picture for the quote, this area always feels like a place if discovery to me.

“In our language there is a word with enormous power…” Marshall B. Rosenberg

“In our language there is a word with enormous power to create shame and guilt. This violent word, which we commonly use to evaluate ourselves, is so deeply ingrained in our consciousness that many of us would have trouble imagining how to live without it. It is the word “should”, as in “I should have known better” or “I shouldn’t have done that.” Most of the time when we use this word with ourselves, we resist learning, because should implies that there is no choice. Human beings, when hearing any kind of demand, tend to resist because it threatens our autonomy – our strong need for choice. We have this reaction to tyranny even when it’s internal tyranny in the form of a should.”

Marshall B. Rosenberg – Nonviolent Communication
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