Re: the George Washington quote, I'm reminded of Sherlock Holmes in Sign of Four. Observing the workers from the shipyard across the river in the gaslight, he says, "Dirty-looking rascals, but I suppose everyone has some little immortal spark concealed about him."
What a wonderful trifle to pick up on! I had forgotten about that passage.
“A strange enigma is man!”
“Some one calls him a soul concealed in an animal,” I suggested.
“Winwood Reade is good upon the subject,” said Holmes. “He remarks that, while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant. So says the statistician.”
This edition of Classy AF makes me want to re-read George Washington's book. My grandfather gave me his copy when I was a lad. It also makes me want to finally sit down and read Winwood Reade's!
Sir, while politeness is irreplaceable, I'd argue that we do not need much of etiquette.
At least as understood by the codes of conduct from the past. Etiquette is by definition a divisive tool. One we should think to put aside in a world where borders are crumbling and we cannot even answer politely to the question about hue of stranger.
Re: the George Washington quote, I'm reminded of Sherlock Holmes in Sign of Four. Observing the workers from the shipyard across the river in the gaslight, he says, "Dirty-looking rascals, but I suppose everyone has some little immortal spark concealed about him."
What a wonderful trifle to pick up on! I had forgotten about that passage.
“A strange enigma is man!”
“Some one calls him a soul concealed in an animal,” I suggested.
“Winwood Reade is good upon the subject,” said Holmes. “He remarks that, while the individual man is an insoluble puzzle, in the aggregate he becomes a mathematical certainty. You can, for example, never foretell what any one man will do, but you can say with precision what an average number will be up to. Individuals vary, but percentages remain constant. So says the statistician.”
This edition of Classy AF makes me want to re-read George Washington's book. My grandfather gave me his copy when I was a lad. It also makes me want to finally sit down and read Winwood Reade's!
“Etiquette and politeness are essential for the well-being of communities and societies.” Hear, hear to that!
Sir, while politeness is irreplaceable, I'd argue that we do not need much of etiquette.
At least as understood by the codes of conduct from the past. Etiquette is by definition a divisive tool. One we should think to put aside in a world where borders are crumbling and we cannot even answer politely to the question about hue of stranger.
I'm sorry: George Washington?! The slaver?! Yes: America's Founding Father & First President. I don't divorce that truth from his others. Yet, I am always gobsmacked by those who can. https://apnews.com/general-news-b6a3c672b25352a306539828827b9bd9
It is context of the times.
Think about yourself, or if you deny, person in your vicinity using apple smartphone. Or a person having clothing made in Bangladesh.
Slavery is involved in the supply chain at many stages. Modern shade of slavery, the one we put a blind eye on today.