The following “Observations” are excerpted from Chapter 2, We Humans,
The privileged have advanced access to
information; the wise have advanced access to
knowledge.
The balanced carry the imbalanced.
Ignorance compounded by arrogance
defines stupidity.
Bullies always back down.
Poor health enriches physicians.
The intoxicated and irrational
have no fears.
We are driven by ancient impulses
of which we are unaware.
Most everyone wants to be taller.
The unusual is normal for the unusual.
Tribes form.
Our appetites exceed our constraint.
Modernity destroys.
What some believe
others disdain.
The past echoes.
Most fragile is peace.
Evil wears many faces.
Politicians, priests, and businessmen
seek your vote, mind, and money.
Desires fulfilled often become
what we thought we needed.
Competence is rewarded.
Humility leavens.
Love attracts love.
Our minds are infinitely fertile.
Thoughts not recorded, like scenes not
photographed, are lost.
Busy people devour time.
Hype works, unfortunately.
It often takes a genius
to see the obvious.
Marriage is a blend and a clash.
No one never has a bad day.
Rivalries are more powerful
than common sense.
Our passions can betray us.
Experience engenders compassion.
Accountability harnesses and handicaps
the darker side of humanity.
Unfettered capitalism encourages
irresponsibility.
Expect resistance.
If there were an easy way out,
it would be clogged with traffic.
It’s difficult to conceive of conception.
Marriage is often an overreaction.
Nothing causes more suffering
than the arrogance of self-righteousness.
Our problems are rooted
in our belief systems.
All seek.
Capitalism legitimizes greed.
Each of us is a different thread
of the same cloth.
If we were scrutinized as are public officials,
we would be found equally reprehensible.
Judgment exposes the judge.
Marriage is the ultimate balancing act.
Nothing surpasses crises
as catalysts for change.
Our quick tongues reveal us.
Clouds pass.
All that is familiar and comfortable
was once unknown and unfamiliar.
Empathy is the child of experience.