#402 Musings Beyond the Bunker (Wednesday July 13)
Good morning,
Today, short musing…
A LESSON IN STOICISM AND THE GLASS HALF FULL
I have been blessed with a world view that considers each morning a new day with new opportunities and a clean slate. My attitude generally has been positive, some might even say “Pollyanna-ish.” But I prefer it that way to the alternative.
Our world is full of problems and dread. Speaking from experience, life is filled with minor disappointments and setbacks and major tragedies. Trust me, I’ve had more than my share of these. I think resiliency is one of the most important of talents to develop. So it was with amusement and appreciation that I read this letter, attributed to Albert Camus, the existentialist (who didn’t like the name), who wrote much about the futility and absurdity of life, yet about its beauty and ultimate joy. Here it is:
“My dear,
In the midst of hate, I found there was, within me, an invincible love.
In the midst of tears, I found there was, within me, an invincible smile.
In the midst of chaos, I found there was, within me, an invincible calm.
I realized, through it all, that…
In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.
And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.
Truly yours,
Albert Camus”
WHO WOULD YOU SAVE?
In a new incarnation of the “trolley problem” (who would you save or kill in various circumstances), here is one on the relative value of the life of a small child versus the “lives” of embryos:
You are in a laboratory that is on fire. Next to you is a one year-old baby. Across from you is a petri dish being preserved with three fertilized embryos. In the split second that you must make a decision, which do you choose? Do you save the one child in front of you or, because there are three embryos in the petri dish, do you instead save three “lives” rather than one? I suspect most people come to the same conclusion and save the baby. There is a priority to life versus potential life. There is a sanctity of a mother’s physical and mental health that outweighs the interests of the potential life of a fetus that is not yet viable and has not yet “quickened”—certainly when it is less than 15 weeks along.
MORE FAMOUS INSULTS
There is nothing quite like a well-placed insult. Here are some of my favorites, back in the day when they were cleverly considered bon mots and not profanity-laden putdowns:
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go.” - Oscar Wilde
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination.” - Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
An exchange between Winston Churchill & Lady Astor: She said, "If you were my husband, I'd give you poison." He said, "If you were my wife, I'd drink it."
"He can compress the most words into the smallest idea of any man I know." - Abraham Lincoln
Have a great day,
Glenn
From the archives: