Quote of the Day: 4 September 2026 #QotD

“If all human beings understood history, they might cease making the same stupid mistakes over and over.” -Dors Venabili, Prelude to Foundation
[Sadly, those who do get to watch those same stupid mistakes made over and over again while being powerless to stop it.]

Quote of the Day: 3 September 2026 #QotD

“Isn’t it sad how some people’s grip on their lives is so precarious that they’ll embrace any preposterous delusion rather than face an occasional bleak truth?” -Calvin, Calvin and Hobbes
[Apropos of absolutely nothing topical at all. Just a funny observation from one who exhibited the same tendency.]

Quote of the Day: 2 September 2026 #QotD

“The desire to be lucky is universal. It was just as strong in the breasts of men four thousand years ago in ancient Babylon as it is in the hearts of men today. We all hope to be favored by the whimsical Goddess of Good Luck.” -George S. Clason
[Luck. Everyone wishes for good luck and to avoid bad luck. But it seems that luck favors those who are prepared to work once an opportunity presents itself.]

Quote of the Day: 1 September 2026 #QotD

“Very little worth knowing is taught by fear.” -Burrich, Assassin’s Apprentice
[There are a few things. Usually, things that aren't taught as a formal part of the instruction.]

Quote of the Day: 31 August 2026 #QotD

“His life had been about momentum. Problem was, it was all too easy to gather momentum in the wrong direction, and it became harder and harder to change course.” -Dalinar Kholin (thought), Wind and Truth
[How do you make sure you're headed in the right direction? It takes a lot of effort to change things the more momentum you get. So, you really ought to be checking as you go along so you don't have to expend too much effort making corrections after it's too late.]

Quote of the Day: 30 August 2026 #QotD

“Truly, Jesus Christ is the way to peace in this world and eternal life in the world to come. He knows and loves each of us perfectly and invites us to walk with Him, abide in Him, and follow His example of ministering to others one by one in charity and love.” -Dallin H. Oaks

Quote of the Day: 29 August 2026 #QotD

“Some of what now exists is already gone. Change and flux constantly remake the world, just as the incessant progression of time remakes eternity.” -Marcus Aurelius
[Change is inevitable. We cannot escape it, nor would it make sense if we could.]

Quote of the Day: 28 August 2026 #QotD

“Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.” -Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
[And live your life in such a way that you are giving love to those around you. Love is something that doesn't diminish as you give it away. It is instead multiplied.]

Quote of the Day: 26 April 2026 #QotD

“Hence the futility of many schemes for education. None can give to another what he does not possess himself.” -C. S. Lewis
[You can inspire someone to pursue knowledge you yourself do not possess. But that is not the same thing as Mr. Lewis is describing here.]

Quote of the Day: 26 August 2026 #QotD

“Freedom, Sancho, is one of the most precious gifts heaven gave to men; the treasures under the earth and beneath the sea cannot compare to it; for freedom, as well as for honor, one can and should risk one’s life, while captivity, on the other hand, is the greatest evil that can befall men.” -Don Quixote, Don Quixote
[There are things worth fighting for. It's good to have some principles to determine which things those are.]

Quote of the Day: 25 August 2026 #QotD

“A man who has faith must be prepared not only to be a martyr, but to be a fool.” -G. K. Chesterton
[This is true regardless of the thing he has faith in. If it be in Christ, the world will be against him. If not, there are still those who will be against him, regardless.]

Quote of the Day: 24 August 2026 #QotD

“[L]ooking forward to things is half the pleasure of them. You mayn’t get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them.” -Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables
[There is a cost to anticipation, though. Particularly when the anticipated event doesn't occur. You incur a debt of enjoyment as you experience the anticipation, but if that isn't repaid in an actualized event you have to pay it back with interest as disappointment.]

Quote of the Day: 23 August 2026 #QotD

“As we witness and remember Jesus each week, we abide and walk with Him.” -Gerrit W. Gong

Quote of the Day: 22 August 2026 #QotD

“That someone is educated does not mitigate their ideological commitments.” -Gad Saad
[Education may inform ideology, but it doesn't necessarily lead to a particular ideology. It may just as well be put to use in destroying as to creation.]

Quote of the Day: 21 August 2026 #QotD

“Unintentional puns are the best.” -Corin Cadence, Sufficiently Advanced Magic
[They are, and I'm tired of pretending they aren't.]

Quote of the Day: 20 August 2026 #QotD

“It’s almost always best to go with honest. It means you never have to worry about getting your story straight.” -Harry Dresden, Cold Days
[It is easier to remember what happened rather than what happened and what you told any particular individual.]

Quote of the Day: 19 August 2026 #QotD

“[H]ow you act in your daily life defines you far more than your politics.” -Chris Freiman
[There is more to life than politics. But it can be pretty important.]

Quote of the Day: 18 August 2026 #QotD

“The single best way to stop a mass killer is with an immediate, violent response.” -Larry Correia
[That response doesn't have to be with a firearm, but it will be more effective if it is.]

Quote of the Day: 17 August 2026 #QotD

“You aren’t failing your kids because you can’t give them everything.” -Dave Ramsey
[In fact, you would be doing more damage to give them everything. They need to struggle, just as we all do. You can't develop into the person you have the potential to be without striving for something.]

Quote of the Day: 16 August 2026 #QotD

“It is in emulating the character of Christ that we become the ‘manner of persons’ we ought to be. Acquiring the character of Christ is one of the most important ways we take His name upon us.” -D. Todd Christofferson

Quote of the Day: 15 August 2026 #QotD

“We know that great performance comes from deliberate practice, but deliberate practice is hard. It’s so hard that no one can do it without the benefit of passion, a truly extraordinary drive.” -Geoff Colvin
[It is hard. It has to be, or top tier performance cannot be achieved. Otherwise, everyone would do it and it wouldn't be extraordinary anymore.]

Quote of the Day: 14 August 2026 #QotD

“I should have stuck to advanced finger-painting and never let Dad lure me into trying for an education. There isn’t any end—the more you learn, the more you need to learn.” -Clifford “Kip” Russell, Have Space Suit – Will Travel
[We all have regrets that aren't actually regrets, just frustration that we actually have to put in some effort.]

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.]