Quote of the Day: 31 January 2021 #QotD

“Jesus summons men to follow him not as a teacher or a pattern of the good life, but as the Christ, the Son of God.” -Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Quote of the Day: 30 January 2021 #QotD

“We soak up the qualities and practices of those around us.” -James Clear
[This being the case, I figure I ought to be a bit more intentional about the people I associate with.]

Quote of the Day: 29 January 2021 #QotD

“I cannot convince myself that what I know to be correct is actually correct.” -Robert Burton
[It's the burden of knowing about Plato's Cave.]

Quote of the Day: 28 January 2021 #QotD

“[R]eading aloud with our kids is indeed the best use of our time and energy as parents. It’s more important than just about anything else we can do.” -Sarah Mackenzie
[I try to read to my children every day. Even if just for ten minutes. Because I believe it will be the most beneficial thing I can do for them.

By the by, if you have suggestions of great books children will enjoy, it's been a fair few years since I was young enough myself, so I'll happily accept recommendations.]

Quote of the Day: 27 January 2021 #QotD

“The transition from childhood to productive adulthood involves more than mere biological maturation and the passage of time.” -Leonard Sax
[As The pup continues to grow and develop, I have noticed a change in my perspective on this. But I recognize that it applies to me as well as to him.]

Quote of the Day: 26 January 2021 #QotD

“[T]hey just don’t build luxury hotels where I want to go. If they did, I probably wouldn’t want to go there.” -Patrick F. McManus

[I don't think I've ever been to a luxury hotel. But I'm also certain that I don't have any desire to go to one.]

Quote of the Day: 25 January 2021 #QotD

“The only downside to capitalism I've been able to find is that it produces enough abundance to feed and clothe people who want to destroy it.” -Austin Petersen
[I'm not sure what to do to address this. It just seems like a values problem, and without shared values, we don't have a way to address it.]

Quote of the Day: 24 January 2021 #QotD

“[W]hen people turn from a sense of accountability to God and begin to trust instead in the ‘arm of flesh,’ disaster lurks.” -D. Todd Christofferson

Quote of the Day: 23 January 2021 #QotD

“[T]he personal element in some things is sacred.” -G. K. Chesterton
[So, lay off and let the person have their say.]

Quote of the Day: 22 January 2021 #QotD

“Obligations inherent in the creation of precious human life are a sacred trust, which if faithfully kept, will keep us from degenerating into moral bankrupts and from becoming mere addicts of lust.” -James E. Faust
[It is Roe v. Wade day.]

Quote of the Day: 21 January 2021 #QotD

“Humility is a foundational virtue that enables many other virtues to grow.” -Brenden Burchard
[I guess once you've neutralized your ego, it's a lot easier to make profess in other areas.]

Quote of the Day: 20 January 2021 #QotD

“Ideologies are substitutes for true knowledge, and ideologues are always dangerous when they come to power[.]” -Norman Doidge
[You will be made to care.]

Quote of the Day: 19 January 2021 #QotD

“Rules selectively applied are not rules at all. They are a shield for their cronies and a club against their enemies.” -Larry Correia
[As usual, Larry knocks it out of the park. Hopefully we'll still have access to his pontifications as the thought police crack down progresses.]

Quote of the Day: 18 January 2021 #QotD

“We don’t ignore bigotry, Jack. That’s how cowardly bigots turn into brave bigots.” -Fenestra, Hollowpox
[This is true regardless of the source or target of the bigotry.]

Quote of the Day: 17 January 2021 #QotD

“True enduring happiness with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the most challenging difficulties comes from a life centered in Jesus Christ.” -Richard G. Scott

Quote of the Day: 16 January 2021 #QotD

“[B]etter ambitions have to do with the development of character and ability, rather than status and power. Status you can lose. You carry character with you wherever you go, and it allows you to prevail against adversity.” -Jordan Peterson
[While I appreciate that you can develop your character, everyone has a character of some description or another. It is the development of good character that actually matters.]

Quote of the Day: 15 January 2021 #QotD

“‘The exception proves the rule’ is an expression constantly upon the lips of the ignorant, who parrot it from one another with never a thought of its absurdity.” -Ambrose Bierce
[The exception doesn't prove the rule, it disproves it. That doesn't mean that the supposed rule is not a useful heuristic, just that it is not axiomatic.]

Quote of the Day: 14 January 2021 #QotD

“It is now long ago that I learned this lesson from General Armstrong, and resolved that I would permit no man, no matter what his colour might be, to narrow and degrade my soul by making me hate him.” -Booker T. Washington
[You only hurt yourself with hatred. It is an emotion that has no effect on the object of your hatred, but an extensive effect on yourself.]

Quote of the Day: 13 January 2021 #QotD

“Focus on living with grace and kindness, even if just for your own sake.” -@politicalmath
[If the majority of us enacted this in our own lives it would go a long way to defusing the tensions we are presently experiencing.]

Quote of the Day: 12 January 2021 #QotD

“There is sorrow, but Life continues and on that alone, we must rejoice.” -Miguel Gonzalez
[It certainly does. For which I have great reason to take encouragement.]

Quote of the Day: 11 January 2021 #QotD

“Why is it all rope is always six inches too short rather than six inches too long?” -Patrick F. McManus
[My guess is confirmation bias, but those times when the rope is too short sure stand out in memory.]

Quote of the Day: 10 January 2021 #QotD

“Begin the process now to become ‘recommended to the Lord’ so that His Spirit will be with you in abundance and His standards will bring you ‘peace of conscience.’” -Ronald A. Rasband

Quote of the Day: 9 January 2021 #QotD

“It is not because men’s desires are strong that they act ill; it is because their consciences are weak.” -John Stuart Mill
[I don't know how thoroughly I concur with this. It seems true. But I don't know for sure that it is.]

Quote of the Day: 8 January 2021 #QotD

“Human beings are going to make mistakes in any kind of economic system. The key question is: What kinds of incentives and constraints will force them to correct their own mistakes?” -Thomas Sowell
[Certainly not central planning, where the decision maker bears little to no risk from their decisions.]

Quote of the Day: 7 January 2021 #QotD

“[O]nly the weak exhibit strength without an aim.” -G. K. Chesterton
[A good reminder that I should consider the purpose of any demonstration of force.]

Quote of the Day: 6 January 2021 #QotD

“Once fully enslaved, no nation, state, city of this earth, ever afterward resumes its liberty.” -Walt Whitman
[Let us hope, then, that it is not full and complete.]

Quote of the Day: 5 January 2021 #QotD

“Changing society doesn’t change the individual but changing the individual does change society.” -@MattsIdeaShop
[Even if only incrementally.]

Quote of the Day: 4 January 2021 #QotD

“[B]eing a good parent in the United States today means doing things differently from your neighbors.” -Leonard Sax
[Boy does it ever. Especially since each child is a distinct individual, and only vague generalities are going to apply to more than a few children.]

Quote of the Day: 3 January 2021 #QotD

“What better teaching could a parent provide for a child than that of following the prophets and building a sure foundation upon Jesus Christ?” -Dallas N. Archibald

Quote of the Day: 2 January 2021 #QotD

“A major problem in achieving and preserving a free society is precisely how to assure that coercive powers granted to government in order to preserve freedom are limited to that function and are kept from becoming a threat to freedom.” -Milton Friedman
[We had that fairly well balanced for a while. Now government has outsourced much of their totalitarianism to big business.]

Quote of the Day: 1 January 2021 #QotD

“You should be far more concerned with your current trajectory than with your current results.” -James Clear

[A good thing to keep in mind when making or working toward keeping resolutions.]