Quote of the evening

[hummingwolf]

'I propose that the statement, "human possibilities are unlimited" is de-energizing. If you take it at face value, there is no real problem anymore. You can only stand up and sing hallelujah and then go home. Every problem will sooner or later be overcome by these unlimited possibilities; there remain only temporary difficulties that will go away of their own accord when the time comes. Contrary to the chairman's intention, statements like his actually terrorize the listener: it is like putting someone into a canoe and pushing him out into the Atlantic toward England with the cheery comment, "The sky's the limit." The canoer is only too aware of the fact that an inescapably real limit is also the bottom of the ocean.'

--Rollo May

Comments

[skygypsy.livejournal.com]

heh.

excellent quote!!

those pollyanna motivational dipwads really make my ass twitch.

(i watched one of my fave movies "french kiss" for like the tenth time yesterday... *hee*)

and if you want to get metaphyscial about it... our very existence is DEFINED BY LIMITS.

*du-uh*.

hee.
;)

-pixie
(big believer in cynicism being wayyy more entertaining than blind pollyanna cheer)

[whitelinefever.livejournal.com]

You reminded me of the first time I came across Rollo May.I was, to paraphrase REM, loosing my religion as a senior in high school.My pastor at my Baptist church having given me up for the antichrist, referred me to a Baptist minister who no longer preached.I sought him out and the first two authors he recommended were Paul Tillich and Rollo May.I thank him for that to this day. Thanks for the quote.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Paul Tillich is yet another person to be added to my ever-growing list of People I Need To Read. Thanks for reminding me!

[meretia]

Oh, I agree with that very much. "You can do anything you put your mind to!" Type of comments are at best, trite pap. It presumes that the "motivated" person is the only factor involved, when that isn't at all the case in real life. There's other people, there's circumstance, there's sheer dumb luck, there's a thousand other factors coming together to make something happen. I suppose that to a certain extent one can overcome some of those obstacles to a certain extent.

But let's say I honestly believe I can achieve anything if I think I can. Now let's say that one of those things I think I can achieve is, oh, helping myself to a first-class seat on a flight to Honolulu. Just because I believe I can breeze in and jump on the plane without buying a ticket or checking in doesn't mean it's going to happen.

Real-world probability kicks human possibility's ass any day of the week.

[hummingwolf.livejournal.com]

Real-world probability kicks human possibility's ass any day of the week.

Heh. I may be quoting you in the near future.