Last night I had the priviledge of attending a talk by Lawrence Krauss on Richard Feynman! I was impressed with Richard Feynman's personality and his curiosity! He was a true genius and a scientist at heart! Some of these quotes give a glimpse into a mind that was "open" and curious, not set and determined !!! He was "all over the place" in his lectures and his thinking, unlike other methodical scientists that lecture from a beginning and come to a conclusive end!
Here are some of his quotes!
"You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing."
"Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent and original manner possible."
— Richard P. Feynman
"Fall in love with some activity, and do it! Nobody ever figures out what life is all about, and it doesn't matter. Explore the world. Nearly everything is really interesting if you go into it deeply enough. Work as hard and as much as you want to on the things you like to do the best. Don't think about what you want to be, but what you want to do. Keep up some kind of a minimum with other things so that society doesn't stop you from doing anything at all."
— Richard P. Feynman
"What I am going to tell you about is what we teach our physics students in the third or fourth year of graduate school... It is my task to convince you not to turn away because you don't understand it. You see my physics students don't understand it... That is because I don't understand it. Nobody does."
— Richard P. Feynman (QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter)
"Science is the belief in the ignorance of experts."
We are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress."
"The first principle is that you must not fool yourself and you are the easiest person to fool." Richard Feynman
I wonder how many people really think like this? I think it is refreshing! It is certainly engaging. And wouldn't one feel that one could "be" in that kind of "Presence"? YES!
Showing posts with label potential. Show all posts
Showing posts with label potential. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Cinderella, "Happily Ever Afters" and Prejuidice
"Blood runs deeper than water", or so the saying goes.
My grand-daughter is watching "Cinderella". It is a "moral story" that has a significant message about prejuidice, justice, and "hope".
The story, as most Americans know, is about a girl's hopes of "becoming" and the wicked step-mother's determination that Cinderella's future will be undermined by limitations of her determination.
I walked into our family room, just at the moment in the movie when the invitation is opened to attend the "Ball". When the step-mother reads it out loud to her two daughters in Cinderella's presence, Cinderella exclaims that she also should be included. (The invitation is addressed to "All")
The step-mother says that Cinderella can go IF she gets all her chores done. (Cinderella is a "slave") She hurries to get everything done and get dressed, only to get attacked by her step-sisters and her step-mother. She is left destitute and runs away crying because she has "no hope". Prejuidice never allows another any "hope" of accomplishing their own ends. Prejuidice determines beforehand where one "fits" and doesn't make for any allowances.
There is something that resonates within the human heart about "hope", possibilities and potential. Cinderella has potential but she is disadvantaged.
The story ends in a happily ever after of a "fairy god-mother" who uses "magic" that makes everything "all right". Cinderella gets to attend the Ball and gets the Prince's attention. Cinderella and the Prince end up living happily ever after. Such are the dreams of every little girl. But, it is also the hope of the human heart.
Our American society allows such "creations" of human happiness, potentialities and justice. We believe in the ability of obstacles to be overcome and the underdog's ability to not be "kept under". And our society values the rule of law and civil liberties.
Our sense of justice is valued by our understanding of "blind justice". We do not believe that prejuidice or priviledge is in any way allowed within our courts of law! We believe that irregardless of "blood ties", or other ways of defining ourselves within our contexts, the/a human being is more important. And the/a human being must be allowed the freedom to attend the Ball, if she chooses and not be designated to "housefhold chores" (cleaning up another's mess).
The Founders believed, "all people are created equal, with certain inalienable rights. These are the rights of life, liberty and the 'pursuit of happiness".
My grand-daughter is watching "Cinderella". It is a "moral story" that has a significant message about prejuidice, justice, and "hope".
The story, as most Americans know, is about a girl's hopes of "becoming" and the wicked step-mother's determination that Cinderella's future will be undermined by limitations of her determination.
I walked into our family room, just at the moment in the movie when the invitation is opened to attend the "Ball". When the step-mother reads it out loud to her two daughters in Cinderella's presence, Cinderella exclaims that she also should be included. (The invitation is addressed to "All")
The step-mother says that Cinderella can go IF she gets all her chores done. (Cinderella is a "slave") She hurries to get everything done and get dressed, only to get attacked by her step-sisters and her step-mother. She is left destitute and runs away crying because she has "no hope". Prejuidice never allows another any "hope" of accomplishing their own ends. Prejuidice determines beforehand where one "fits" and doesn't make for any allowances.
There is something that resonates within the human heart about "hope", possibilities and potential. Cinderella has potential but she is disadvantaged.
The story ends in a happily ever after of a "fairy god-mother" who uses "magic" that makes everything "all right". Cinderella gets to attend the Ball and gets the Prince's attention. Cinderella and the Prince end up living happily ever after. Such are the dreams of every little girl. But, it is also the hope of the human heart.
Our American society allows such "creations" of human happiness, potentialities and justice. We believe in the ability of obstacles to be overcome and the underdog's ability to not be "kept under". And our society values the rule of law and civil liberties.
Our sense of justice is valued by our understanding of "blind justice". We do not believe that prejuidice or priviledge is in any way allowed within our courts of law! We believe that irregardless of "blood ties", or other ways of defining ourselves within our contexts, the/a human being is more important. And the/a human being must be allowed the freedom to attend the Ball, if she chooses and not be designated to "housefhold chores" (cleaning up another's mess).
The Founders believed, "all people are created equal, with certain inalienable rights. These are the rights of life, liberty and the 'pursuit of happiness".
Thursday, March 12, 2009
What Are The Implications to a Flat, Closed or Open Universe
Last post I was thinking in terms of how one views reality and how that view affected how reality was understood. Now, I want to think about the implications of those views more deeply.
The closed reality is a reality of limited resources and is a backward focused view of history in the real world. Evolutionists think in these terms, as their understanding is a closed system of natural/physical reality. Although natural/physical reality is part of our understanding of the universe via the natural sciences, it should not be our only reality, as a closed universe suggests limitation to the human species. Limitation of natural resources play upon natural fears of death within man and further his fear of death, by re-enforcing a competiveness that is destructive. This is what evolutionists call "survival of the fittest". Even though competition works in the free market, competition should not "drive" men, as men are prone to beat another down by competition. This is not a compassionate way of life, which must be gauged with a balance of power, and accountability.
The flat understanding of reality is the ancient's understanding of "wisdom" and is best understood within religious traditions. Wisdom is the understanding to live one's life with insight. Insight is a knowledge of self and other. Our country's balance of power again breeds the environment of accountability and cicumspection. History does repeat itself, if we are not wise enough to learn from it. This is a backward look into our past, so that we will not be people without self-reflection, which continue to make the same mistakes of those in the past.
The open view of reality is a view of possibility and potentiality. This view paints a hopeful tomorrow, because it is not based on limitation of resources but a prosperity that can benefit all. A limitation of government must be mandated for the individual to attain their highest potential and find the freedom to "be" and "do" whatever their heart finds passion in. America's values are the ones that give hope for the future, as it does not limit individual choice or action. The American dream is one that is filled with the hope of equality. Equality means opportunity, but not necessarily success. Success is for those who choose to continue to be diligent in following their goals to the end. And understanding is given to those who perservere.
I think as we face the global economic crisis, we should be reminded of these truths. For those of us who have lived with little thought for tomorrow and presumed upon the future, perhaps we need to reflect on our lack of wisdom. And for those of us who have thought that controlling the limited resources either through hoarding, or controlling others, we should learn to be accountable. And those who have lived with little means really have little to learn as this is not "their lesson", but ours.
The closed reality is a reality of limited resources and is a backward focused view of history in the real world. Evolutionists think in these terms, as their understanding is a closed system of natural/physical reality. Although natural/physical reality is part of our understanding of the universe via the natural sciences, it should not be our only reality, as a closed universe suggests limitation to the human species. Limitation of natural resources play upon natural fears of death within man and further his fear of death, by re-enforcing a competiveness that is destructive. This is what evolutionists call "survival of the fittest". Even though competition works in the free market, competition should not "drive" men, as men are prone to beat another down by competition. This is not a compassionate way of life, which must be gauged with a balance of power, and accountability.
The flat understanding of reality is the ancient's understanding of "wisdom" and is best understood within religious traditions. Wisdom is the understanding to live one's life with insight. Insight is a knowledge of self and other. Our country's balance of power again breeds the environment of accountability and cicumspection. History does repeat itself, if we are not wise enough to learn from it. This is a backward look into our past, so that we will not be people without self-reflection, which continue to make the same mistakes of those in the past.
The open view of reality is a view of possibility and potentiality. This view paints a hopeful tomorrow, because it is not based on limitation of resources but a prosperity that can benefit all. A limitation of government must be mandated for the individual to attain their highest potential and find the freedom to "be" and "do" whatever their heart finds passion in. America's values are the ones that give hope for the future, as it does not limit individual choice or action. The American dream is one that is filled with the hope of equality. Equality means opportunity, but not necessarily success. Success is for those who choose to continue to be diligent in following their goals to the end. And understanding is given to those who perservere.
I think as we face the global economic crisis, we should be reminded of these truths. For those of us who have lived with little thought for tomorrow and presumed upon the future, perhaps we need to reflect on our lack of wisdom. And for those of us who have thought that controlling the limited resources either through hoarding, or controlling others, we should learn to be accountable. And those who have lived with little means really have little to learn as this is not "their lesson", but ours.
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