Quote of the day

"I think that I now understand what he is up to. He is plotting to become a Power. He has a mind of metal and wheels; and he does not care for growing things, except as far as they serve him for the moment." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Two Towers

This is the character Treebeard describing Saruman and the deforestation of Isengard to the hobbits Merry and Pippin; Tolkien appears to have felt something ominous in the industrialization of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. But as I look at this passage now I think of the tech bros destabilizing democracy to advance their own agendas: and I'm looking forward to reading The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy by Gil Durán when it comes out next year.

Quote of the day

"While an exaggerated sense of our own importance is a recipe for both political and psychological disaster, it is also possible to overestimate our insignificance. Acceptance shades easily into excuse. With enough practice tolerating imperfection you can learn to forget what it is you’re failing to live up to. When those expectations include owning a vacation home or winning a Nobel Prize, letting go might be healthy — but doing so is tragic when they include stopping a genocide or ending homelessness. If that seems like an unreasonable standard to hold ourselves to, it is only because so few of us today have experienced the way that participating in the exercise of collective power can augment and extend our personal agency." - Erik Baker, "How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Shitty Life: Self Help Gets Philosophical"

Quote of the day

"One's mind finds no peace, neither enjoys pleasure or delight, nor goes to sleep, nor feels secure while the dart of hatred is stuck in the heart." - Śāntideva

Via The Daily Buddhist: 366 Days of Wisdom for Happiness, Inner Freedom, and Mindful Living by Pema Sherpa & Brendan Barca

Quote of the day

"So curious that such a wealthy man never posts anything that indicates that he enjoys or is even aware of what virtually everyone appreciates - scenes from nature, pet dog or cat, praise for a movie, music, a book (but doubt that he reads); pride in a friend's or relative's accomplishment; condolences for someone who has died; pleasure in sports, acclaim for a favorite team; references to history. In fact he seems totally uneducated, uncultured. The poorest persons on Twitter may have access to more beauty & meaning in life that the 'the most wealthy person in the world.'" - Joyce Carol Oates, commenting on Elon Musk

Quote of the day

 "Ideas are seeds that, when nurtured, can grow into massive movements. But it't not just good ideas that can spread - ideas of corruption, division, and injustice can spread just as easily. So, as responsible human beings, we must choose the types of seeds that we want to nurture." - Pema Sherpa & Brendan Barca, The Daily Buddhist: 366 Days of Wisdom for Happiness, Inner Freedom, and Mindful Living