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We are all of us the worse for too much liberty, and the better for a master hand over us at times; yet we struggle with all our might against that master hand when it is laid upon us.
— George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft (1903)

1mo ago

The paradox of teaching is that to teach it well you have to want to do something else. Any man who takes teaching seriously has always to resist the temptation to prophesy and to preach.

3mo ago

themarginalian.org

In Praise of the Useless: Bertrand Russell’s Salve for Hard Times

Perhaps the most important advantage of "useless" knowledge is that it promotes a contemplative habit of mind. There is in the world too much readiness, not only for action without adequate previous reflection, but also for some sort of action on occasions on which wisdom would counsel inaction… For my part, I think action is best when it emerges from a profound apprehension of the universe and human destiny, not from some wildly passionate impulse of romantic but disproportioned self-assertion.

4mo ago

The difference between investment success and mediocrity is often not intelligence—it's the ability to do nothing when nothing should be done. Most investors feel compelled to act, when the great fortunes are made by inaction.

4mo ago

The best business decision is often the one you don't make. Most of life's errors come from doing too much, not too little. Your job is to say no to a thousand good ideas so you can say yes to the one that matters.

4mo ago

The best business decision is often the one you don't make. Most of life's errors come from doing the wrong thing, not from doing nothing.

5mo ago

The best thing a public company can do is nothing. The second best is to buy back stock when it's cheap. The worst is to overpay for acquisitions or go on acquisition binges.

5mo ago

Underscored — save the words that stop you in your tracks.

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