Ten Quotes on History

It must be the then-and-now photos of two unemployed persons from two historical eras, which I posted over the weekend in my other blog, that enticed me to read more about the Great Depression. The experience is, to say the least, enlightening and illuminating.

But disturbing, too, in the sense that it gave me a sense of foreboding about a likely future that is slowly unfolding much like a replay of an old familiar movie. I hope it's just my overworked mind playing a trick on me, for it's a future we'd rather not have.

Join me as I explore quotes from wise and famous men who have attempted to explain why history seems to uncannily repeat itself:

Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results. -Machiavelli

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History teaches everything including the future. -Lamartine

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The past does not repeat itself, but it rhymes. -Mark Twain

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We learn from history that we never learn anything from history. -Hegel

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While the mediocre European is obsessed with history, the mediocre American is ignorant of it. -Anonymous

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If history teaches anything about the causes of revolution--and history does not teach much but still teaches considerably more than social science theories--it is that a disintegration of political systems precedes revolutions, that the telling symptom of disintegration is a progressive erosion of governmental authority, and that this erosion is caused by the government's inability to function properly, from which spring the citizens' doubts about its legitimacy. -Hannah Arendt

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You must always know the past, for there is no real Was, there is only Is. -William Faulkner

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Mankind are so much the same, in all times and places, that history informs us of nothing new or strange in this particular. Its chief use is only to discover the constant and universal principles of human nature. -David Hume

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History has now been for the first time systematically considered, and has been found, like other phenomena, subject to invariable laws. -August Comte

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History repeats itself because no one was listening the first time. -Anonymous

(Photo credit: www.sxc.hu)

Ten Quotes on Innovation

I've been wanting to blog about the forces that trigger financial innovation for a long time now. There's need to do a literature survey to make sure I cover all the known bases to-date. Unfortunately, I haven't had the luxury of time for such research. I thought, however, that a less ambitious start would be to identify a unifying theme for such a wide-ranging post. From my experience, good sources for such a theme are what authorities or experts have to say on the subject. Here are ten quotes on INNOVATION which I particularly liked:

Well, when you're trying to create things that are new, you have to be prepared to be on the edge of risk. -Michael Eisner

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When you innovate, you've got to be prepared for everyone telling you you're nuts. -Larry Ellison

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An enterprising person is one who comes across a pile of scrap metal and sees the making of a wonderful sculpture. An enterprising person is one who drives through an old decrepit part of town and sees a new housing development. An enterprising person is one who sees opportunity in all areas of life. -Jim Rohn

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The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow. -Rupert Murdoch

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There has been opposition to every innovation in the history of man, with the possible exception of the sword. -Benjamin Dana

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Innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity. -Michael Porter

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Innovation is not the product of logical thought, although the result is tied to logical structure. -Albert Einstein

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Every innovation occasions more harm and derangement of order by its novelty, than benefit by its abstract utility. -Legal Maxim

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Chance favors only the prepared mind. -Louis Pasteur

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Nearly 100% of innovation -- from business to politics -- is inspired not by "market analysis" but by people who are supremely pissed off by the way things are. -Tom Peters

(Photo credit: www.sxc.hu)

A Very Merry Christmas to All!

I have not forgotten this blog. It's just that I have been terribly busy with a project lately. But then, no matter busy I am, I'd like to take this opportunity to greet one and all a very Merry Christmas!

A Few Words on Life from Pablo Casals

Since I have just been through a period of reflection which resulted in my reinvention of this blog, this anecdote from an anonymous source which was emailed to me by a friend many years ago seem apropriate. Let me share this story with you:

A man should become all that he is created capable of being.

Think of the example of Pablo Casals, the small town boy who
became world famous as a musician. At four he sang Gregorian chants in the
parish church, at six he studied the piano and the organ and wrote music, at
seven he began to study the violin, at 11 he took up the cello...and so on, step
by step, until at 90, he conducted performances at three major symphonies, the
recordings of which are giving world-wide pleasure.

Whenhe was 83 years old, Casals was asked why he continued to practice four
and five hours every day. Casals gave this reason: "Because I think I am making
progress."

All that is expected of each of us--is that we will make the best use of
things that are within our power.

I think blogging is within my power, so here I am. Good day to all...

Bushisms Video

To mark the significant break of this blog from its heretofore staid past, I upgraded its template design from David Bowman's generic "Minima" to this so-called "Snapshot Sable", a creation by David Shea. I am also embedding this YouTube video on Bushisms for your viewing pleasure. From here on, I will post jokes, trivia and other interesting video clips falling under the category of either quotes, jokes, funny anecdotes or trivia.