While many of Freud’s theories about psychoanalysis are no longer believed to be fact by most modern psychologists, he often had very profound things to say, both about his field of psychology and about other subjects.
On the subject of religion, he had the following things to say:
A religion, even if it calls itself a religion [...]
Poets say science takes away from the beauty of the stars — mere globs of gas atoms. Nothing is “mere”. I too can see the stars on a desert night, and feel them. But do I see less or more? The vastness of the heavens stretches my imagination — stuck on this carousel my little [...]
I can indeed hardly see how anyone ought to wish Christianity to be true; for if so the plain language of the text seems to show that the men who do not believe, and this would include my Father, Brother, and almost all my best friends, will be everlastingly punished. And this is a damnable [...]
No one may have the guts to say this, but if we could make better human beings by knowing how to add genes, why shouldn’t we?
I’ve collected a few of my favorites here, from both present and past correspondents. If you have any more you’d like to add, leave a comment.
This is a rather long list, so I’m hiding it below the fold.
My long Christmas break is over, and I started going back to school this week. I thought I’d commemorate it with a few quotes about education and college.
“Nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.” ~ Oscar Wilde
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” ~ Mark Twain
“Soap and education are not as [...]
Most software today is very much like an Egyptian pyramid with millions of bricks piled on top of each other, with no structural integrity, but just done by brute force and thousands of slaves. ~ Alan Kay
Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore, if you write the code [...]
. . . imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, ‘This is an interesting world I find myself in’an interesting hole I find myself in’fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!’ This is such a powerful idea that [...]
Boredom is therefore a vital problem for the moralist, since at least half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it.
I found one day in school a boy of medium size ill-treating a smaller boy. I expostulated, but he replied: “The bigs hit me, so I hit the babies; that’s fair.” In [...]
Not only was Churchill one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, he was one hell of a witty guy. These are a few of my favorite quotes and anecdotes attributed to him:
History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.
In war it does not matter who is right, but who [...]
I’ve posted a few quote collections before and they’ve been quite popular, so thought I’d try it again. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is an amazing book, so go read it if you haven’t already. Both inside and out of his novels, Huxley is extremely eloquent and insightful.
I wanted to change the world. But I [...]
If he is infinitely good, what reason should we have to fear him?
If he is infinitely wise, why should we have doubts concerning our future?
If he knows all, why warn him of our needs and fatigue him with our prayers?
If he is everywhere, why erect temples to him?
If he is just, why fear that he [...]