Observe. Think. Chat. Do. Trade. Repeat…
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien CBE FRSL was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
Lao Tzu (also spelled Laozi or Lao-Tze) was a semi-legendary ancient Chinese philosopher who is credited with writing the Tao Te Ching, a classic of Chinese philosophical-religious literature.
According to legend, Lao Tzu met Confucius, the founder of Confucianism, and impressed him with his wisdom. He also tried to teach people the way of the Tao, but found them unwilling to listen. He then decided to leave civilization and retire into seclusion. Before he departed, he wrote down his teachings in the Tao Te Ching at the request of a border guard. Some Taoist sects believe that he then became an immortal.
Lao Tzu’s influence on Chinese culture is immense. He is regarded as the ancestor of the Tang dynasty (618-907 CE), one of the most prosperous and powerful periods in Chinese history. He is also revered as a deity in religious Taoism and Chinese folk religion, under the name Laojun, one of the ‘Three Pure Ones’.
His teachings have inspired many other philosophers, poets, artists, and leaders throughout history and across the world.
George Orwell 1903 – 1950
George Orwell 1903 – 1950. This quote is ‘attributed’ to George Orwell, a British writer and journalist who is best known for his novels 1984 and Animal Farm. But this quote is most likely NOT an Orwell one – eventhough it is widely accepted as his.
It is most likely that Orwell never wrote or spoke these words, even though they have a broadly Orwellian dystopian feel to them. It would appear that this quote was first written by a conservative writer in 2009, but has been almost universally misattributed to Orwell in the intervening 12 years.
The earliest record found found and apparently the original, was descovered in a column by the conservative writer Selwyn Duke, written in 2009.
Selwyn Duke is a conservative writer and commentator who has published articles on various topics such as politics, culture, religion, and science.
Duke is known for his traditionalist and sometimes controversial views on issues such as immigration, feminism, transgenderism, and vote fraud. He has written for several online and print outlets, such as The Hill, The American Conservative, WorldNetDaily, and American Thinker.
He also has a personal website where he posts his opinions and media appearances, and is active on X.
Selwyn Duke should not to be confused with George Orwell, a British author who wrote novels such as 1984 and Animal Farm. A quote that is often misattributed to Orwell actually originated from a 2009 opinion piece by Duke
Martin Luther was a German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He is known for his writings and teachings on topics such as justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, the priesthood of all believers, and the freedom of the Christian.
He also translated the Bible into German and wrote many hymns, catechisms, and commentaries.
He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity.
Martin Luther was a German theologian and leader of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. He is known for his writings and teachings on topics such as justification by faith, the authority of Scripture, the priesthood of all believers, and the freedom of the Christian.
He also translated the Bible into German and wrote many hymns, catechisms, and commentaries.
He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of Christianity
Elbert Hubbard – was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher. He was a travelling salesman.
Hubbard is best known as the founder of the Roycroft artisan community in New York, an influential exponent of the Arts and Crafts movement.
No, nor me – never heard of him, but I really like this quote.
Earhart was the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She set many records and was one of the first aviators to promote commercial air travel.
She also wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences, and was instrumental in the formation of ‘The Ninety-Nines’, an organization for female pilots.
Henry David Thoreau 1817 –1862
He was an American naturalist, essayist, poet, and philosopher and leading transcendentalist.
Transcendentalism is a philosophical, spiritual, and literary movement that developed in the late 1820s and 1830s in the New England region of the United States.
A core belief is in the inherent goodness of people and nature, and while society and its institutions have corrupted the purity of the individual, people are at their best when truly ‘self-reliant’ and independent.
William Penn was an English writer, religious thinker and philosopher, and influential Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonial era.
Penn was an advocate of democracy and religious freedom.
The quote is often used to inspire people to take action and avoid procrastination, as it implies that delaying something may result in missing the opportunity or losing the motivation to do it.
The quote also suggests that the present moment is the best time to pursue your goals and dreams, rather than wait for a more convenient time.
Aristotle was an ancient Greek philosopher and scientist, who is considered one of the greatest intellectual figures of Western history.
He wrote on a wide range of subjects, including logic, metaphysics, ethics, politics, biology, natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology and the arts.
He founded the Lyceum, a school of philosophy in Athens, and tutored Alexander the Great.
Isaac Asimov was an American writer and professor of biochemistry at Boston University. During his lifetime, Asimov was considered one of the ‘Big Three’ science fiction writers, along with Arthur C. Clarke and Robert A. Heinlein.
My favourite book by Isaac Asimov is I, Robot. If you haven’t read it yet, go lift one off the shelf – it’s well worth a read.
Thomas Edison – inventor 1847 – 1931
Thomas Edison was an American inventor and businessman. He developed many devices in areas such as electric power generation, mass communication, sound recording, and motion pictures. These inventions, which include the phonograph, the ‘motion picture camera’, and early versions of the electric ‘light bulb’.
The electric light bulb is one of the most important inventions in human history. It has revolutionized the fields of lighting, communication, entertainment, and industry. The electric light bulb produces light by passing an electric current through a thin wire called a filament, which heats up and glows. The filament is enclosed in a glass bulb that is either vacuumed or filled with an inert gas to prevent it from burning out. The humble bulb has undergone many developments through time including the introduction of energy saving devices using LED’S, Light Emitting Diodes.
The electric light bulb was not invented by any one person, but by many inventors who contributed to its development over the years. Some of the earliest attempts to create electric light were made by Humphry Davy, Warren de la Rue, and Joseph Swan in the 19th century.
However, the most famous and successful individual inventor of the electric light bulb was Thomas Edison, who patented his version in 1879 and 1880. Edison experimented with different materials for the filament, such as carbon, platinum, and even bamboo, until he found one that could last for over 1,000 hours. He also improved the vacuum pump and the socket for the bulb. He demonstrated his invention to the public by lighting up his laboratory and the nearby streets in Menlo Park, New Jersey.
The electric light bulb has changed the world in many ways. It has extended the hours of work and leisure, improved safety and health, enabled new forms of art and entertainment, and stimulated scientific and technological innovation.
The electric light bulb is also a symbol of human creativity, curiosity, and progress.
If you want a good read – go find, ‘The Last Days of Night’ by Graham Moore. It’s brilliant!
This quote is from ‘Lady Windermere’s Fan’.
Spike Milligan was a famous Irish comedian, writer, musician, poet, playwright and actor famously known for writing the hit radio programme, ‘The Goon Show’.
The inscription ‘I told you I was ill’ is the famous epitaph of Spike Milligan.
He died in 2002 at the age of 83. He had once joked that he wanted this phrase to be on his headstone, but the local diocese did not approve of it in English. So he had to write it in Gaelic, which is ‘Duirt me leat go raibh me breoite’.
It means that we should be: ‘humble and honest about our own knowledge and ignorance’.
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who is traditionally considered the ‘most perfect’ of Chinese sages.
The phrase, ‘neither a borrower nor money lender be’ is a famous quote from William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, spoken by the character Polonius to his son Laertes. Polonius is giving his son some advice before he leaves for Paris, and he tells him not to lend or borrow money from anyone, because it can ruin friendships and lead to financial troubles.
‘Neither a borrower nor a lender be; For loan oft loses both itself and friend, And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry’.
The phrase means that we/you should be self-reliant and prudent with your money, and avoid getting into debt or lending money to others. It implies that borrowing and lending can cause resentment, dishonesty, and loss of trust between people. It also suggests that borrowing can make you lazy and wasteful, while lending can make you lose both the money and the friend. Thats’s true!
The phrase is still relevant today, as many people face the challenges of managing their finances and dealing with debt. It is often used as a proverb or a piece of wisdom to warn people against the dangers of borrowing and lending money. However, some people may disagree with the phrase, and argue that borrowing and lending can be beneficial in some situations, such as when one needs to invest in education, business, or emergency needs. They may also point out that borrowing and lending can strengthen relationships if done with honesty, generosity, and gratitude.
This proverb is attributed to Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. It means that we can learn from anyone, even those who are less knowledgeable or experienced than us.
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who is traditionally considered the ‘most perfect’ of Chinese sages.
Very apt quote for our time, even though this comment is some 460 yeas old.
John Calvin, theologian and pastor. He was the leading French Protestant reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation.
The term protestant comes from the Latin word protestari, which means to declare publicly or to protest
This is the famous quote in the novel Animal Farm where it suggests ‘we are all equal, but some are more equal than others’.
Animal Farm is a fable by George Orwell that criticizes the corruption of power and the dangers of totalitarianism.
It appears in the last chapter of the novel, when the pigs have changed the original commandment of ‘All animals are equal‘ to justify their tyranny and privilege over the other animals. It is an example of how the pigs use language to manipulate and deceive the other animals, and how they betray the ideals of the ‘revolution’ that Old Major inspired.
Draw your own conclusions and comaparisons to ‘human’ behaviour…
This quote is attributed to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, engineer and physicist who is best known for his contributions to the development of alternating current electricity, wireless communication and radio.
This quote is attributed to Nikola Tesla, a Serbian-American inventor, engineer and physicist who is best known for his contributions to the development of alternating current electricity, wireless communication and radio.