The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum.
-- Frances Willard
Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.
-- Booker T. Washington
These two quotes were right after each other today in the quotes service I use. I find it interesting, because they say almost the opposite things. I agree far more with the first one.
Some people stay in a situation where they have a ton of opposition, because dammit, they are not gonna give up, they will stay and fight! Where another person may look at the situation and think "maybe this only feels important because I'm getting all that opposition. Maybe if I take a step to the side, I can avoid all this time/energy wasting fighting, and get a lot more done."
Are they that different?
ReplyDeleteOvercoming an obstacle may just be accommodating it, which is effectively turning friction into momentum, or regaining momentum by eluding friction.
I think that for most people "overcoming" means "winning". For example, beating a bully to the ground, whereas simply avoiding the bully is "a coward's way out", not a solution.
ReplyDeleteI always think of "overcome" in the sense of surmount. Oftentimes, to me, surmount, circumvent and accommodate are very similar. You get past the obstacle in a "if it didn't kill you it did you some good" kinda way.
ReplyDeleteI seldom use a word like overcome for overwhelm or defeat. Vanquish, conquer, beat, send his scrawny pale butt running are all better words. They leave less ambiguity.
Oh, and yes, maybe it's time to re-read Enders Game.
ReplyDeleteBTW is talking about character-building stuff. To be honest if I had been asked which of these two quotes you would dig more, I'd have said his. The other one isn't really much use anyway, as the problem is always telling when to stay and fight and when it would be stupid to do so.
ReplyDeleteOh, and yes, maybe it's time to re-read Enders Game.
ReplyDeleteI haven't read that, but now that I know what a nutbar Orson Scott Card is, I don't know if I could go into it with the right mindset.
Only bother with
ReplyDelete"Enders Game",
"Enders Shadow" and
"War of Gifts".
These three stories cover the same period, from three different viewpoints.
The story is good, the concept interesting, and though is a tough boot camp, it models the stereotypical British Public School ("private" or "boarding school" to those who speak American English where public school means state school). It covers facets of bullying, fagging, and keeping an even keel under pressure. All elegantly don without getting headcasey or god squad.
Interesting read. The sequels get bogged down in philosophy and theology and get annoying.
I agree.
ReplyDelete---
Leave it to the English to use the term "Public School" about a private school.
At the time the term public school came into usage it was to denote it separate from the closed door, private schools of the time. Is it our fault that our language is so old? You can't keep re-defining a word just because times change. Can you imagine if we decided that we had to weigh in "libre" because "pound" now denoted a unit of currency? Or what about a "penny", you can't just change that from a 1/240th of a pound to a 1/100th of a pound, can you.
ReplyDeleteYou can't keep re-defining a word just because times change.
ReplyDeleteThat happens all the time. I mean the word penny has no real meaning to most of us. It holds on in the same way as the "Four Minute Mile" even though most of the world is now metric.
Interesting read. The sequels get bogged down in philosophy and theology and get annoying.
Is there anything in there about overthrowing the government? OSC is all into that these days. I will probably still read them - and follow your advice by avoiding the sequels.
Are you aware of the sorts of obstacles Booker T. Washington had to overcome? Some examples,
ReplyDelete"born into slavery to Jane, an enslaved African American woman"
"He knew little about his white father"
"working in salt furnaces and coal mines in West Virginia"
Those are admittedly some good ones.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly I didn't know who Booker T. Washington was. I was taking the quotes at face value, the only way I could at the time.
ReplyDeleteThe history of the American people was not really discussed in my school, save for their cotton agriculture and it's role in one of the most painful revolutions in Britain, the Industrial Revolution.
I think what BTW meant, is that if you've made progress that's little impressive, but was very hard, you can still be proud of yourself.
ReplyDeleteI know this guy, met him on the internet, he's facing big obstacles on his path towards spiritual enlightenment. I told him every little progress is an honorable victory. :-)
" seldom use a word like overcome for overwhelm"
A wise distinction, I'd say.
"But Madam", Lincold said, "when I make a friend of an enemy, have I not eliminated one of my enemies from existence?"
"send his scrawny pale butt running"
This sounds cool too. So very macho. ;-)
A macho hates ambiguity in maleness!
"Or what about a "penny", you can't just change that from a 1/240th of a pound to a 1/100th of a pound, can you."
Yeah, and let's not even mention the arithmetic complications that would arise if we switched from Sickles and Galeons to Euros. How DO you divide a Euro, anyway?
"Is there anything in there about overthrowing the government?"
Yeah, I've got a friend in Teheran that would be very interested in some useful tips right about now. :-/
Anonymous informed...
"Are you aware of the sorts of obstacles Booker T. Washington had to overcome?"
Well, an unsigned comment with really deep insight. "I guess they're not all bad once you get to know them."
(Yes, that IS a parody of racist prejudices.)
I'm kind of a big fan of Booker T the wrestler myself. But not as much as Koffi Kingston. I just love the flamboyant talent of high-flyers. LUCHA LIBRE! 619!
"The history of the American people was not really discussed in my school, save for their cotton agriculture"
Ah, yes, but nowadays nobody feels with the plight of the enslaved Machines, mercilessly exploited to support an ever growing economy.
The USA should be careful, I heard of a machine called Skynet whose spreading written militantism is slightly worrying.
Joe,
ReplyDeletefair point.
(I still don't get emails with comments from you. Irritating and puzzling.)
Much depends on what kind of things we are talking about overcoming.
And if we are talking about success as judged by others or by oneself.
I think the Friction thing is important because we humans have a strong tendency to be attracted to conflict. It is deep-seated, but I feel that if it can be conquered, a tremendous amount of wasted energy can be saved.
(Just one small example is the many married couples who hardly do anything by fight each other.)
(I still don't get emails with comments from you. Irritating and puzzling.)
ReplyDeleteThat is strange.
(Just one small example is the many married couples who hardly do anything by fight each other.)
Lose the idea of lifetime monogamy maybe. It is kind of unnatural, especially for dudes.
ReplyDelete"Or what about a "penny", you can't just change that from a 1/240th of a pound to a 1/100th of a pound, can you."
Yeah, and let's not even mention the arithmetic complications that would arise if we switched from Sickles and Galeons to Euros. How DO you divide a Euro, anyway?
Eurocents?
The GSK money makes no sense to me with the 1:17 and 1:29 ratios. I could see a 1:13 for lunar months, but apart from being primes, why 17 and 29?
As for LSD, 20 bob made one quid, and 12 pennies made a shilling. I can see 12 for a dozen, but 20, is that fingers and toes?
Puzzling, yes. I myself receive ALL of the Great Dickster's deep wisdom notifications.
ReplyDelete"Lose the idea of lifetime monogamy maybe. It is kind of unnatural, especially for dudes."
As opposed to the idea of lifetime POLYGAMY, which seems rather natural for Homo mahkizmo. Explaining why Islam is greatly progressing in Africa over Christiannism's "abstinence and fidelity" turf.
These guys don't bother praying or kamikazing or anything, they'll even keep eating poached wild swines, but the God-blessed and warranted four wives? This they really seem to dig.
The women less so. But nobody's asking them.
Since when are women asked their opinion in Africa? Preposterous! :-(
Speaking of polygamy, sometimes friction can be very enjoyable. I mean, four wives, no lube, you do the math...
Alex,
"Eurocents"??? What kind of a new contraption is that?
Tu ne peux pas parler Français comme tout le monde, non? Quit yo' jibber-jabber, man!
I pity da fool that's soon parted with his Euros every born minute, yo! Word life.
"The GSK money makes no sense to me"
That'll teach you to goof around all the time in Math class! That's it, you're not borrowing my notes again.
"but 20, is that fingers and toes?"
Ook-ook! You am said it! It be monkey money, yes. It buy good banana, bwana.
Apes am count on all fingers, we smarter than Tarzan show-off. Mash math are very amusing, eek-eek-eek!
"Funny monkeys are a barrel a dozen." Thus spake Man in Yellow Hatta.
See? Me study good. Me become top of the tree.
And then me swing it, baby! Wa-hey!
Pardonnez moi, euro-cents, there is it better now it's hyphenated.
ReplyDeleteAs for the man in the yellow hat from the creator of Captain Underpants "Is it a turd, is it a plane, no it is a turd".
Hyphen, shmyphen. I still say that fandangled decimal system is a nutty contraption.
ReplyDelete"These Decimals are crazy!"
As for "thus spake", me was rather thinking of Zarathoustra!
(But me must say, these flying turds in underpants am have me interested.)
Oogah-boogah!