“Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.”
If you ever wonder where the World War II Generation for its bullshit, look at that remark floating around in a punchbowl.
WHY WAS THIS INFORMATION PRODUCED? Why did Edison SAY that? It was to show that his success was not due to his UNEARNED natural genius, but to his being Tough, Hard-Working and Dedicated. The only difference between him and Karl Marx was that Marx said all production was 100% labor.
But Edison was not thinking about philosophy. He was thinking about HIMSELF.
Edison worked all those hours because he had a delightful MIND, which he did not EARN, to work with. Unimaginative people like sports better. If you’re good with your body, you are more likely to like sports than mental exercises.
But even the dumbest jock would not say that they would be a star tackle if they weighed 120 pounds and WORKED at it. Yogi Berra would not even make a JOKE like that.
But Edison’s piece of pure bullshit is quoted all the time, and no one is smart enough to laugh.
#1 by shari on 12/01/2009 - 11:08 am
Under Mommy’s regime,genius has been 99% brownnosing and 1% getting the job.
#2 by Dave on 12/01/2009 - 11:16 am
The supply of plausible sounding lies is endless, coming at us one after another, endlessly.
We are immersed in them 24 x 7, causing us to float in a steady state of highly textured confusion. The resulting errors bloom dynamically, miring society in labyrinth of error.
Political Correctness is militant confusion. It is an engine that militantly sows error.
And the militantly confused are “on deck” for a drubbing and a whacking.
It’s “God’s Will”.
#3 by DeepfriedElvis on 12/01/2009 - 8:33 pm
I remember in grade school history class they were quite condescending towards the concept of “predestination” in some of the early protestant teachings. They made it seem silly as the primary worldview of the accademic establishment was pimping “the blank slate” version of human nature. But now that I’m older and have a chance to revisit long forgotten history lessons perhaps the theologists of the time were onto something, that some people are just naturaly lazy, hardworking, good, bad, smart, dumb, etc and professing a bunch of words doesn’t change that nature anymore than the mundane story of a convict who “found the Gospell.” A leopard can’t change it’s spots.
#4 by bruce on 12/02/2009 - 11:12 pm
I always thought that quote from Edison was wrong.
Here’s one I like much better:
“Progress isn’t made by early risers. It’s made by lazy men trying to find easier ways to do something.”
– Robert Heinlein