Quote of the Day: 13 August 2026 #QotD

“[E]ven then I didn’t know what I was going to do, but before I did anything I had to get my clothes on.” -Parker Graves, They Walked Like Men
[Priorities are important to get in order.]

Quote of the Day: 12 August 2026 #QotD

“It's an insidious form of pride.

Of specks and planks and double standards.

My hobbies and my interests? Well of course, they are good and worthy and important and wise.

But others? Well of course that is wasteful or indulgent or a bit silly, don't you know?” -John Moody

[For something to be an insidious form of pride it must be an especially insidious thing. Pride is insidious by its nature, and to compound that makes it doubly insidious. It's another thing to be on guard against.]

Quote of the Day: 11 August 2026 #QotD

“An extraordinary life is made up of ordinary days. Of a summer breeze, and small hands, of cold cheeks you kiss in the autumn afternoons, of a steady hand that holds yours, of the wonderful miracle that is having everyone you love, all with you under the same roof.” -@tanyaelisabethh
[It is so hard to remember in the moment, though. And not all the moments are entirely pleasant. The pup is being particularly surly as I type this, thinking he is so put upon to have to accept his mother's and my decisions about certain things. But there are other moments that make up for (and more) all of that.]

Quote of the Day: 10 August 2026 #QotD

“[T]he past has never cared about regrets.” -Mark Lawrence
[The past is done and gone. It doesn't care what you think of it now. You, on the other hand, care a great deal.]

Quote of the Day: 9 August 2026 #QotD

“My brothers and sisters, as followers of Christ, let us follow Him by forgoing contention and by using the language and methods of peacemakers. In our families and other personal relationships, let us avoid what is harsh and hateful.” -Dallin H. Oaks

Quote of the Day: 8 August 2026 #QotD

“Never hesitate when someone asks if you’re a crazed lunatic.” -Rat, Pearls Before Swine
[Either answer with an immediate and emphatic 'no' or ignore them entirely. There can be no middle ground.]

Quote of the Day: 7 August 2026 #QotD

“To enter a truly natural world was exotic, beyond the experience of most mankind, who lived from birth to death in entirely man-made circumstances.” -Michael Crichton
[It is good to have some connection to the natural world. Better to understand the tenuous position civilization stands in. We are on a knife's edge, and a push to either side would send us to unbearable to us conditions we barely recognize.]

Quote of the Day: 6 August 2026 #QotD

“[E]very nation has the right — and the duty — to protect its own people first.” -@japan_nobunaga
[Yes. Though some are derelict in their duty. Rather than look after the interests of the people, they seek out those things that placate their feelings and nagging doubts.]

Quote of the Day: 5 August 2026 #QotD

“Stories are not just stories; they are the best invention ever created for delivering mental models that drive behavior.” -Daniel Coyle
[Our brains are wired to perceive stories and remember them. That's just what humans do.]

Quote of the Day: 4 August 2026 #QotD

“Emotions come when they will, not when you will them to.” -Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
[You can learn to control your response to your emotions, but your emotions are not entirely within your control. That is not an excuse, but an explanation for what we see. The next step is where your agency comes into play.]

Quote of the Day: 3 August 2026 #QotD

“We can use our thoughts to change our thoughts—by adding distance.” -Ethan Kross
[Metacognition is useful and interesting.]

Quote of the Day: 2 August 2026 #QotD

“Because of the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ, we can return home to our Heavenly Father and live in His presence. This is only possible through Jesus Christ.” -Dale G. Renlund

Quote of the Day: 1 August 2026 #QotD

“Beauty is what you see when your eyes stop focusing on the details and you begin to see the whole person.” -Ferius Parfax (attributed), Queenslayer
[Beauty is, as the saying goes, in the eye of the beholder, but the form of beauty one chooses to behold determines whether that goes skin deep or deeper.]

Quote of the Day: 31 July 2026 #QotD

“Things just happen, one after another. They don’t care who knows. But _history_ . . . ah, history is different. History has to be observed. Otherwise it’s not history. It’s just . . . well, things happening one after another.” -Terry Pratchett
[History has a sense of import about it that the events may not have had at the time. It was just things happening. But, then, we learned the importance after the fact.]

Quote of the Day: 30 July 2026 #QotD

“The moment a leader allows himself to become the primary reality people worry about, rather than reality being the primary reality, you have a recipe for mediocrity, or worse. This is one of the key reasons why less charismatic leaders often produce better long-term results than their more charismatic counterparts.” -Jim Collins
[Leadership encompasses so many things that it is difficult to learn them all. Humility is hard enough on its own, but then to add leadership with it makes it that much more difficult.]

Quote of the Day: 29 July 2026 #QotD

“I feel so incredibly lucky to be American and there's not a day that I'm not grateful. We all should be!” -Karol Markowicz
[I appreciate the stories of legal immigrants and their experiences being naturalized. It is amazing how much we have to be grateful for that we simply don't sufficiently recognize because it is taken for granted here.]

Quote of the Day: 28 July 2026 #QotD

“It seems to me, Golan, that the advance of civilization is nothing but an exercise in the limiting of privacy.” -Janov Pelorat, Foundation’s Edge
[Yes. Largely. There are some instances of civilization respecting privacy in some ways. But, by and large, civilization does require the relinquishing of some privacy for the same of social cohesion. That doesn't mean you have to give it up in all areas, or that you shouldn't protest at any further intrusions, though. I will maintain as much of my privacy as I am able to, personally.]

Quote of the Day: 27 July 2026 #QotD

“Pander to me!” -Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes
[Please. I'd really like it.]

Quote of the Day: 26 July 2026 #QotD

“Because of our Savior’s victory over death and sin, we will praise His name forever.” -Neil L. Andersen

Quote of the Day: 25 July 2026 #QotD

“It costs nothing to ask wise advice from a good friend” -Bansir, The Richest Man in Babylon
[Just be cognizant of the source you seek advice from. You can get good advice from a variety of people. However, it would be imprudent to ask that advice of someone who has either shown they lack good judgment, or on a topic about which they know little to nothing.]

Quote of the Day: 24 July 2026 #QotD

“When you spring to an idea, and decide it is truth, without evidence, you blind yourself to other possibilities. Consider them all, boy.” -Chade, Assassin’s Apprentice
[Jumping to conclusions not only prevents you from considering other possibilities that may be the truth, it also conditions you to engage in sloppy thinking rather than slowing down and engaging in rigorous thought.]

Quote of the Day: 23 July 2026 #QotD

“Would that any of us could protect ourselves from the costs heroism often requires. But again, if there were no cost, no sacrifice, then would it be heroism at all?” -Adolin Kholin, Wind and Truth
[There is, of course, a cost to everything we do. Sometimes it is small and insignificant. Other times it is monumental. I wish it were easier to decide if the costs were worth it more of the time, though. It's frustrating not to have perfect foresight.]

Quote of the Day: 22 July 2026 #QotD

“It’s the truth I’m after, and the truth never harmed anyone. What harms us is to persist in self-deceit and ignorance.” -Marcus Aurelius
[We all ought to pursue truth. But not everyone is interested in the truth. They would prefer you engage with their pleasant fiction rather than seeing the world and people as they are.]

Quote of the Day: 21 July 2026 #QotD

“It is not ‘hate’ to speak the truth.” -J. K. Rowling
[No matter how much others attempt to shame you or denigrate you for doing so.]

Quote of the Day: 20 July 2026 #QotD

“We might all try minding our own business.” -The Professor, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
[We might, but given the proclivities of the various collectivists, I doubt we will.]

Quote of the Day: 19 July 2026 #QotD

“Jesus Christ is more than a mortal first laid in a manger, more than a friend, teacher, rabbi, minister, or prophet. He is the Only Begotten Son of the Father. And by divine design, His Resurrection by His own godly power reunited His body and His spirit.” -Ronald A. Rasband

Quote of the Day: 18 July 2026 #QotD

“[T]here can be no humor where there is no intelligence[.]” -Miguel de Cervantes
[There is certainly lowbrow humor, or that which appeals to the lowest common denominator. However, even there, there is intelligence in the humor. It simply cannot exist without it.]

Quote of the Day: 17 July 2026 #QotD

“We are fond of talking about ‘progress’; that is a dodge to avoid discussing what is good.” -G. K. Chesterton
[Let us discuss goodness, beauty, and light. It is essential to the betterment of man. Progress means nothing without understanding what we are progressing toward.]

Quote of the Day: 16 July 2026 #QotD

“It’s been my experience that you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will.” -Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables
[Attitude makes such a difference to our experience of things.]

Quote of the Day: 15 July 2026 #QotD

“The only effective way for scientists to check one another is through replication.” -Jay Bhattacharya
[I don't know how to set up the correct incentives, but we really ought to prioritize replication of scientific studies much more highly than we do. It should receive about the same level of prestige as novel research does.]

Quote of the Day: 14 July 2026 #QotD

“[S]he actually said nay? I aspired to that level of pretension[.]” -Corin Cadence, Sufficiently Advanced Magic
[Some people just naturally and effortlessly pull off things that we would like to be able to do. How do they do it? No idea. It is just somehow authentic to who they are.]

Quote of the Day: 13 July 2026 #QotD

“There are a lot of ways to get ready for trouble.

“You get ready to fight. That’s one of them.

“But it’s even more important that you build something worth fighting for.” -Harry Dresden, Battle Ground

[Is your life one worth fighting for? I know mine is. I'd rather not have to, but I'd feel worse if I didn't if it were necessary.]

Quote of the Day: 12 July 2026 #QotD

“To those who are struggling to come home, know that it is your Savior who’s the one calling you back. In the end, everyone must make their own choices to come home.” -Clark G. Gilbert

Quote of the Day: 11 July 2026 #QotD

“You should be capable of inflicting extreme violence as needed.” -Robb Allen
[Without the capacity for violence you aren't really civilized. You're merely harmless.]

Quote of the Day: 10 July 2026 #QotD

“It is natural for all living things to desire continuing to live above all else. Only one must disregard that desire to achieve greatness.” -Ashok Vadal, Graveyard of Demons
[If you want to be great, your pursuit of excellence must exceed all else in your life.]

Quote of the Day: 9 July 2026 #QotD

“You can buy fun with money, but you can't buy happiness.” -Dave Ramsey
[Pleasure and happiness are related but distinct experiences. Ultimately, happiness and contentment are choices you make about your circumstances. Sometimes easier to make than others, but still a choice.]

Quote of the Day: 8 July 2026 #QotD

“The best performers observe themselves closely. They are in effect able to step outside themselves, monitor what is happening in their own minds, and ask how it’s going.” -Geoff Colvin
[Metacognition is an interesting thing. It's hard to accomplish much of the time but is so rewarding to engage in.]

Quote of the Day: 7 July 2026

“A boss is the man who does the bossing. Titles and insignia come later.” -Andrew Nivens, The Puppet Masters
[Behavior is noticed and earns its rewards (or consequences). You get what you deserve. Eventually.]

Quote of the Day: 6 July 2026 #QotD

“[B]usiness is more than just a counting of the profits. It is a chance for service, a chance to make a contribution. It is the glue that keeps our civilization stuck together, and there can be no prouder profession for any man to follow.” -An Old Business Owner, They Walked Like Men
[A lot of people (well-intentioned or not) do not understand business. Voluntary exchange is the basis of a high functioning society. You can engage in business with someone you disagree with because you will both gain something from the transaction.]

Quote of the Day: 5 July 2026 #QotD

“We must encounter the empty tomb, experience the reality of what it means, and, in turn, share that witness with others.” -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Quote of the Day: 4 July 2026 #QotD

“But what do we mean by the American Revolution? Do we mean the American War? The Revolution was effected before the War commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people, a change in their religious sentiments of their duties and obligations.” -John Adams
[Happy Independence Day! 250 years. I hope and pray there will be many more yet to come.]

Quote of the Day: 3 July 2026 #QotD

“Yeah, strength in diversity isn’t quite the same as strength in adversity.” -Gerek, Spacetrawler
[Sounds similar but has a very different meaning. Many such instances, and this one can be insidious.]

Quote of the Day: 2 July 2026 #QotD

“The wait for the world to tell you that you’re special can be a long and lonely one. Better to get off your arse and let it know that you are.” -Miles Smoly, The Book That Broke the World
[You can sit back and let the world happen to you, or you can go out and happen to the world. One of them produces more significant results. The choice is up to you.]

Quote of the Day: 1 July 2026 #QotD

“One individual can make an incredible difference, but that individual is shaped and created and influenced by thousands of other people. And that person shapes and creates and influences thousands of other individuals in return.” -Ms. Trepky, What Stars Are Made Of
[This is often expressed as 'no man is an island.' But, it is good to remember that means we are all influenced by, and in turn influence, others throughout our lives.]

Quote of the Day: 30 June 2026 #QotD

“The purpose of life is to stay alive. Watch any animal in nature—all it tries to do is stay alive. It doesn’t care about beliefs or philosophy. Whenever any animal’s behavior puts it out of touch with the realities of its existence, it becomes extinct.” -Charles Munro, Congo
[Some animals don't adapt with the changing conditions. That is when they go extinct. Yes, even when it is man that is the source of those changes.]

Quote of the Day: 29 June 2026 #QotD

“America has the single most influential, exported, dominant culture on the entire planet.” -@patriot_savvy
[Contrary to many sentiments I've seen expressed online, American culture is so pervasive that it is like the air we breathe and don't notice.]

Quote of the Day: 28 June 2026 #QotD

“If we have a sincere desire, being meek and lowly in heart, we can come to know the true God the Father and gain eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ, for the power is in us—in choosing to believe and deciding to act accordingly.” -Wan-Liang Wu

Quote of the Day: 27 June 2026 #QotD

“The road to success is paved with mistakes well handled.” -Danny Meyer
[No one is perfect and we will all make mistakes. This is especially true when you compound it by working as part of a team. So, in order to achieve greatness you will have to learn to overcome mistakes. No one will achieve success without having persevered through many mistakes and difficulties.]

Quote of the Day: 26 June 2026 #QotD

“Because they are your reactions to the world around you, emotions always come from somewhere.” -Travis Bradberry & Jean Greaves
[It's good to know that your emotions have a basis in the things you have experienced. That way, you can rationally respond to them. Assuming, of course, that you can process thought rationally in the moment.]

Quote of the Day: 25 June 2026 #QotD

“We introspect hoping to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead.” -Ethan Kross
[Most of the time. Sometimes we succeed and find our inner coach. Particularly when we have previous experience to act as a guide.]