Beau Peep Notice Board

Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Mince on August 14, 2016, 11:16:19 AM

Title: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 14, 2016, 11:16:19 AM
Okay, it's time to choose this week's quote of the week. I will present three quotes, and you have to choose the one you think the members of this board ought to live by, and why. Here are this week's quotes:



Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.
    - Albert Einstein

It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see.
    - Henry David Thoreau

Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.
    - John Wooden
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on August 14, 2016, 12:29:12 PM
The last one. Just because!
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 14, 2016, 02:41:11 PM
The last one. Just because!

It's okay: everyone knows you're talking about me. :)
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Redundant on August 14, 2016, 04:00:42 PM


Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.
    - Albert Einstein

Because:

a)   It's Einstein, duh.

b)   The second one sounds too much like a meaningless platitude.

c)   Surrounding yourself with smart people would require a remarkable increase in (intelligent) board members to make it work.

(Not actually true, I often find myself in awe of some of the comments and posts on Beau Peep, but it was too good an answer not to use it.)
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Sandy Buttcheeks on August 14, 2016, 06:03:18 PM
I just hurt myself trying to climb a tree...

 :-[
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 14, 2016, 06:43:15 PM
I just hurt myself trying to climb a tree...

 :-[

Have you spent your whole life thinking you're stupid?
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on August 15, 2016, 05:46:09 PM
The last one. Just because!

It's okay: everyone knows you're talking about me. :)

Not everyone is as ill-informed (stupid) as you.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 19, 2016, 02:51:04 PM
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.

This one is just the kind of rubbish lazy sods use to justify their inability to learn or do anything worthwhile. "Hey, I'm a genius, but I'm just a fish when it comes to academic work, any other work, or anything requiring will power or dedication."


It's not what you look at that matters. It's what you see.

Here is more tripe from tree-hugging hippies who want us to flit around in wondrous delight at the sight of butterflies and leaves on trees. What makes us soon become bored with such things is the very same thing that allows babies not to spend their whole lives staring at shadows and instead strive to learn new things.


Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who'll argue with you.

This is probably the best one, but it's completely pointless unless you can be honest with yourself and where necessary replace incorrect opinions and knowledge with that which is more correct, even if it does not fit with what you wish to hear.

So my choice for this week is this last one.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Redundant on August 19, 2016, 03:59:22 PM
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing it is stupid.

This one is just the kind of rubbish lazy sods use to justify their inability to learn or do anything worthwhile. "Hey, I'm a genius, but I'm just a fish when it comes to academic work, any other work, or anything requiring will power or dedication."


You didn't read the quote.   It specifically refers to the negative or pointless judgement of others and the effect such judgement can have on the individual.   Your denial of the value of the quote is based on self judgement or, as you put it, self justification, which simply is not implied by the quote.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on August 19, 2016, 04:13:10 PM
Most fish will have forgotten about it after a few seconds anyway.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 19, 2016, 05:15:23 PM
It specifically refers to the negative or pointless judgement of others and the effect such judgement can have on the individual.

Do you really think anyone lives their whole life stupid because someone else thinks they are? No, they live their life stupid because they choose to, and they use others as their excuse.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Redundant on August 19, 2016, 06:14:48 PM

Do you really think anyone lives their whole life stupid because someone else thinks they are? No, they live their life stupid because they choose to, and they use others as their excuse.

I couldn't read when I was eight, I went through three years of infant school class with the same teacher, and all she ever told me was I was too stupid to learn, and I believed her because she was the adult, and I, apparently, was the idiot.   In my next class, with a teacher who didn't tell me I was idiot, I learned to read [and thus write as well] in a very short space of time, I was eager to, because it meant I wasn't stupid after all.

It's possible my first teacher was just terrible at her job but given she managed to educate other kids it's equally likely she just didn't like me, or kids from a poor background [it was mainly a rural community school with a few barbarians at the gates such as myself].   Whatever the reason her ignorant and less than pleasant opinion of me made a difference, a damaging difference, lowered my already fairly diminished [read non existent] self esteem, none of which I got to choose.  I lived three years believing I was too stupid to learn to read, my parents lack of interest ensured it wasn't discovered until I changed classes, I didn't choose any of that, I got chosen.

So, do I think anyone lives their whole life stupid because someone else thinks they are?  Yes I believe that's entirely possible given the right circumstances, and given sufficient ignorance and cruelty from others.



Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 19, 2016, 07:05:07 PM
Well, that was better than "just because". I love a good argument. :)

I would probably agree with when it comes to children, which is why I don't believe the school system is good for children. But later in life I believe everyone soon realises that they have read enough, heard enough, experienced enough for that epiphany that allows them to take charge of their own life. Whether they do or not is then their choice.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on August 19, 2016, 07:27:01 PM
Sometimes, it's just better to be a forgetful fish. - Tarqs, 2016.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Mince on August 19, 2016, 07:36:07 PM
I'm sure you've had loads of practice, none of which you can remember. :)
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Sandy Buttcheeks on August 20, 2016, 11:14:28 PM
Most fish will have forgotten about it after a few seconds anyway.

Not the fun fair ones. They die before they forget.
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Diane CBPFC on August 21, 2016, 02:07:17 AM

Do you really think anyone lives their whole life stupid because someone else thinks they are? No, they live their life stupid because they choose to, and they use others as their excuse.

I couldn't read when I was eight, I went through three years of infant school class with the same teacher, and all she ever told me was I was too stupid to learn, and I believed her because she was the adult, and I, apparently, was the idiot.   In my next class, with a teacher who didn't tell me I was idiot, I learned to read [and thus write as well] in a very short space of time, I was eager to, because it meant I wasn't stupid after all.

It's possible my first teacher was just terrible at her job but given she managed to educate other kids it's equally likely she just didn't like me, or kids from a poor background [it was mainly a rural community school with a few barbarians at the gates such as myself].   Whatever the reason her ignorant and less than pleasant opinion of me made a difference, a damaging difference, lowered my already fairly diminished [read non existent] self esteem, none of which I got to choose.  I lived three years believing I was too stupid to learn to read, my parents lack of interest ensured it wasn't discovered until I changed classes, I didn't choose any of that, I got chosen.

So, do I think anyone lives their whole life stupid because someone else thinks they are?  Yes I believe that's entirely possible given the right circumstances, and given sufficient ignorance and cruelty from others.

Glad you got sorted out and that some cared.

I read a story in my Facebook newsfeed a day or two ago of a neglected child of four years old who was picked up by social services and when asked what her name was she said "Idiot".
Title: Re: Quote of the Week 15 AUG 2016
Post by: Redundant on August 22, 2016, 08:37:49 PM
If nothing else mankind is consistent.