Foolish Talk

Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish.

Euripides
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It doesn't take courage to observe, reason things through, to arrive at a clearer image of the way things are and a new idea about them. But it takes a lot of courage to express that new idea. I sympathize with the poor scientist or artist who can explain things in ways that challenge the status quo of popular thinking. He will inevitably have his flesh hacked away by the ignorant with their pen knives and pierced by their nails and needles.

I have been called eccentric for some reason. I suspect it's because I'm always searching for unorthodox ways of thinking, saying things and doing things. The word "eccentric" means peculiar. But it also means having an unusual set of beliefs.

A long time ago I began to notice in myself and others the habit of holding on to ways of thinking and doing that remained unchallenged and treated as if they were certain and dependable rules for living. Fortunately, with an open mind, I was able to confront men and women who did challenge those habitual ways of thinking. At the same time I noticed that many people who claimed to agree with those men and women were actually paying no attention to them. In defense of what I know to be the truth about the irregular and unsheltered freshness of ideas I began to explain what was said and to give examples. I soon found my own original thinking to be influenced by the need to think deeply into what I was reading and hearing from the enlightened minds. And that's when the trouble started.

It begins with scorn and sarcastic laughter. Resentment and hate set in when people begin to doubt and think that you may be right. It gets to the point where the backward will mount a reaction so severe that it would make you stop what you're thinking and subscribe to what is the generally excepted rule. In other words you've been taken prisoner by ignorance. There are those who would return to systems the world has out grown, to refuse the right to investigate unchartered waters, to stop scientific investigation, put out the light, burn the books or rewrite them, to shoot down the eagle in it's flight. That's when a lot of good people give up. I've given in on occasion, mainly because I needed the job or the relationship. But I was never convinced that the wrong way was the right way if there was a better way.

Things changes, mountains move, and I've grown increasing distressed over the condition of people who refuse to let go of a rope that leads nowhere. What can one man do? I throw light where I can, but I will go to the cross before I will refute and deny or cease to practice what I know to be true.

DB
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APRIL FOOLERY

Weekend Contest
This contest is open for the next 3 days.

APRIL FOOLERY
Choose as many numbers as you want and fill in the blanks
Winners will be posted on the evening of April 4.
The decisions of the nasty biased judge are final. Prizes will awarded on the basis of originality and whatever makes me laugh.

3 ENTRIES SO FAR

On the first day of April my true love gave to me
12______
11______
10______
9_______
8_______
7_______
6_______
5_______
4_______
3_______
2_______
and_______

Good luck
DB
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