Notes on life, art, photography and technology, by a Danish dropout bohemian.
When you drink the water, remember the river.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
What progress comes from
All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.
- Samuel Butler
2 comments:
Anonymous
said...
So "us" responsible and prudent citizens living within our budget don't contribute to progress ? Are we really just relaxing and waiting for somebody else to take risks, do the hard job so that we can benefit from progress ? So people who perform activities that supposedly aren't primarily motivated by material rewards (much less by living beyond their income) such as artists, painters, actors, university professors aren't contributing to progress ? Am I missing the point ? Peace to all !
I think it's rather a joke. But with the added poignancy that there's a nugget of truth to it, and also that many actually believe it really is so, including top economists and politicians. Or they say so.
2 comments:
So "us" responsible and prudent citizens living within our budget don't contribute to progress ? Are we really just relaxing and waiting for somebody else to take risks, do the hard job so that we can benefit from progress ? So people who perform activities that supposedly aren't primarily motivated by material rewards (much less by living beyond their income) such as artists, painters, actors, university professors aren't contributing to progress ?
Am I missing the point ?
Peace to all !
I think it's rather a joke.
But with the added poignancy that there's a nugget of truth to it, and also that many actually believe it really is so, including top economists and politicians. Or they say so.
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