Good Judgment

Good judgment comes from experience which mostly comes from bad judgment. Jason Statham as Arthur Bishop in The Mechanic

Perfect Enough

Le mieux est l’ennemi du bien. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Voltaire

Perfection is the enemy of progress. Winston Churchill

Three Types of Denizens

It would seem that there are three types of people: cowards who run from risk, fools who ignore risk, and agents who accept risk. Self

Saving Lives

Whoever saves a single life is considered by scripture to have saved the world. Talmud, Sanhedrin 37a

Irrelevant awareness of law

Neither ignorance of the law nor understanding thereof are defenses presently in the American legal system. Self

Inverted Iceberg

Don’t be an inverted iceberg where more is seen than unseen. Lori

Academic Weariness

Much study is a weariness of the flesh. Ecclesiastes 12:12 KJV

Scope and Focus

You don’t need to boil the ocean to make a cup of coffee. unk

The Stupid Stick

Cousin, you so dumb that smacking you in the head with the stupid stick would raise your IQ. Self

Plain Honesty

An honest tale speeds best being plainly told. Shakespeare, Richard III

The other shoe

There are times in your life when you sense that something is about to happen and at the same time you realize it already has. ‍Sarah Polley as Maren Hontvedt in The Weight of Water

Experience

For 42 years, I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education and training. And on January 15, the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal. Capt. Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger

Force

My words land hard. Self

Discovering Truth

All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. Galileo Galilei

Frame of reference

I wouldn’t take offense; not every species has motives that can be understood in human terms. Jolene Blalock as Sub-Cmdr. T’Pol in Star Trek: Enterprise S1E12 (“Silent Enemy”)

Foundational Ratio of American Justice

The law holds that it is better that ten guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer. William Blackstone (1769)

It was better to let the crime of a guilty person go unpunished than to condemn the innocent. Coffin, et al. v. United States, 156 U.S. 432 (1895)

Reclaiming Life

No one can give you your life back, so you have to take your life back. Charlie Cox as Matt Murdock in The Defenders

Forgivenesses

When you forgive yourself, whether others forgive you becomes less relevant. Self

Conflict continuum

When you make diplomacy impossible, you make war inevitable. Tim Kaine

Always Strive

I’m not satisfied living in yesterday’s hour. I’m not satisfied to have the form but not power. “Believe” (Hillsong)

Horse and Water

I led the horse to water. I made the horse drink. The horse drowned in the process. I beat the dead horse to a pulp. The currents carried away the horse. The horse is no longer my problem. Self

Cognitive flow

My brain was firing on all five cylinders today. Self

Residential Privacy

The most frail cottage in the kingdom is absolutely entitled to the same guarantees of privacy as the most majestic mansion. Florida v. Jimeno,
500 U.S. 248, 254 (1991)

Wait for it

In a lawsuit the first to speak seems right, until someone comes forward and cross-examines. Proverbs 18:17 NIV

Errant Conclusions

People jump to the conclusions which best validate their speculations. Self

Redefine ‘Progress’

Let us redefine ‘progress’ to mean that just because we can do a thing, it does not necessarily follow that we must do that thing. Kurtwood Smith as Federation President in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Out of phase

I was created out of phase with everyone else so that I might see what no one else sees. ‍Self

Omnia in glorium Dei

sive ergo manducatis sive bibitis vel aliud quid facitis omnia in gloriam Dei facite I Corinthios 10,31 VUL

Vice of Capitalism, Virtue of Socialism

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Winston Churchill

Paradox of knowledge

One of the great challenges in this world is knowing enough about a subject to think you’re right, but not enough about the subject to know you’re wrong. Neil deGrasse Tyson

Inverted culpability

Knowledge of the law is no defense while ignorance of the law is no excuse! self

Today’s Best

The essence of our best is not whether it can be somehow improved upon at a later time. Today’s best will produce tomorrow’s better still which will expose shortcomings of yesterday’s best. Our best is only our best as long as we cannot improve upon it until tomorrow. That is, the essence of our best is not whether it can be somehow improved upon at a later time. Our best is cognizable by our inability to improve upon it today‌. Self

Ockham’s Razor

Entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem. William of Ockham

Personal Growth

In any given moment we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety. Abraham Maslow

One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again. Abraham Maslow

What Money Buys

Money doesn’t buy happiness; it buys entertainment and distraction (either of which is preferable to mindfulness of unhappiness). Self (Chicago, Ill)

No Fairness in Life

Not all things in life are colored with the same shade of crayon (and some ill-deserving bastard will always have the deluxe set). Self

Possibilities

It is never too late to be what you might have been. George Eliot (Mary Ann Evans)

No hope of victory

You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves. ‍Winston Churchill

Civil Disobedience

Disobedience is the true foundation of liberty. The obedient must be slaves. Henry David Thoreau

The Universe

The universe is far more complex than Genesis, and far more simple than Darwin. Self

Challenging Paths

If you’re not facing challenges, you’re not pursuing your destiny. Self

Victim Narratives

When the wolf tells the story, the sheep and shepherds are always the enemy. Unk

Bees & Flies

The bee does not waste time convincing the fly that honey is better than shit Unknown

Beautiful Truth

Beauty is truth, truth beauty—that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. John Keats, Ode on a Grecian Urn

Roles & Tactics

Always play the fox. John Noble as Matthew Ashbaugh in The Good Wife S5E10

Seasons & Leadership

Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times. G. Michael Hopf, Those Who Remain

Utopia Location

Wonderful. Last time I looked, Utopia is a small town upstate, different zip code. Steven Hill as DA Adam Schiff in Law & Order S2E8 (“Out of Control”)

Reassembly

Only once we have been shattered can a higher power guide us through the reassembly. Self

Immediate priority

That sounds like a tomorrow problem. Let’s get out of here. Mark Valley as Christopher Chance in Human Target S1E3

De venganza a victoria

Venganza es de Dios, Compensación es de Dios, Consecuencia es de Dios, pero Victoria es de nosotros! Self

Freedom can be scary

Our rights don’t end where your fear begins. Freedom is scary. Deal with it. John H. Bryan

Courage and Honor

You will never do anything in this world without courage. It is the greatest quality of the mind next to honor. Aristotle

Looking for signs

We often ask for signs to direct our steps when what we really want is encouragement for the present. Self

Human factor

We’ve all heard about the computer simulations and now we are watching actual sims. But I can’t quite believe you still have not taken into account the human factor. Tom Hanks as Chelsey Sullenberger in Sully

Group Mentality

No snowflake in an avalanche ever feels responsible. Stanisław Lec (disputed)

Originality and Coincidence

Everything I write is completely original, and any thoughts attributable to another person are entirely coincidental — unless you believe in collective unconsciousness, in which case it is just another expression of the same original thought — unless you subscribe to the notion that everything that is written has already been written before, in which case you have to ask, is the dog chasing its tail or is the tail taunting the dog. Self

Actual patriotism

Some whom the nation condemns as traitors are patriots because they give their lives so that freedom might live. Self

Seeing Braille

I don’t have to be blind to recognize braille. That doesn’t mean I claim to read it. Self

Know it all

It is not that I know it all, but rather that I know the one who knows it all. Self

Paradox of Self-improvement

Sometimes pain screams so loud that we can’t hear Wisdom whisper. Self

Pain speaks louder than healing and agony argues with wisdom. Self

The Unexamined Life

ὁ δὲ ἀνεξέταστος βίος οὐ βιωτὸς ἀνθρώπῳ (ho dè anexétastos bíos ou biōtòs anthrṓpōi). The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates

Ethical conduct

Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. Mark Twain

Atheist Zeal

There is no proselyter half so energetic as the hard-shelled atheist. Heywood Broun

Social Accountability

We are accountable not for what we are taught but for what we learn. (In other words, we are not accountable for being taught bigotry or racism or sexism or xenophobia, but we are accountable for learning those behaviors.) Self

Honor in life

The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be. Socrates

Egotism

It’s so easy to hurt others when you can’t feel pain. Hall & Oates, “Rich Girl”

Disguised horses

A horse painted to look like a zebra is still a horse. Self

Perpetual Goal Setting

Never quit. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit. Paul “Bear” Bryant

Regretful awareness

Why did you come here? We were so happy. We didn’t know that there was anything missing in our lives. Jennifer Gatti as Ba’el in Star Trek: The Next Generation S6E17 (“Birthright”)

Full Disclosure

I can’t tell you what I don’t know! Dominic Keating as Malcolm Reed in Star Trek: Enterprise S4E16 (“Divergence”)

Audacity and Destiny

One man can summon the future. Jolene Blalock as T’Pol in Star Trek Enterprise S4E13 (“Unified”)

Constancy

Constancy is keeping your mind made up while keeping it open too. Self

Untimely Experience

Experience is something you don’t have until just after you need it. Self

Duck Perceptions

When you see the world through a duck shaped lens, everything looks vaguely like a duck. anonymous

Forewarned

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18 KJV

Looking Back to See Forward

The further back you can look, the further forward you can see. Unknown (often attributed to Winston Churchill, never confirmed)

Victory only through opportunity

The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy. To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself. Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy. Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it. ‍孫子 (Sun Tzu), The Art of War

Contentment Is Good

Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat well, drink a good glass of wine, and enjoy their work. Ecclesiastes 5:18 NLT

Government Fright

I think you all know that I’ve always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the Government, and I’m here to help. Ronald Reagan

Broken or Hardened

Maybe sometimes it’s better to be broken than to be hardened. David Kaczynski

The best you can

And if all you ever really do is the best you can, well, you did it man. That’s something to be proud of. That’s a life you can hang your hat on. Montgomery Gentry, “Something to Be Proud Of”

Move past

Do not seek blame. Michael Dorn as Worf in Star Trek: Picard S3E2 (“Disengage”)

The Process of Victory

If you believe in yourself and have dedication and pride and never quit, you’ll be a winner. The price of victory is high but so are the rewards. Paul “Bear” Bryant

Change

Understand as it is, imagine as it can, strive as it will. Self

Hindsight

My hindsight is so good, I should walk through life backward. Self

Knowledge Vanishes

Knowledge has to be improved, challenged, and increased constantly, or it vanishes. Peter F. Drucker

Risk Reward

The fucking you aim to give me ain’t worth the fucking I’ll give you in return. Self

Trusting God

Though he slay me, yet will I trust him Job 13:15 KJV

Simplify

Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler. Albert Einstein

Nuance matters

There’s not much difference between ‘mouse’ and ‘mouth’ except between the jaws of a cat. Self

Cosmologically insignificant

We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the universe. That makes us something very special. Stephen Hawking

Maintaining Liberty

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself. Thomas Paine (1795)

Pipe Dream Foundations

If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. Henry David Thoreau

Going Big

Go big or go home, but don’t bet the farm or the cow so that there is still a home option. Self

Go big or go home, but make sure you don’t bet the farm or the cow. Self

Go big or go home, but be judicious in going all-in so that there will still be a farm and a cow waiting if going home becomes necessary. Self

Battle Investment

Be more committed to your defense than your opponent is to the attack. ‍Self

America

Yes, many problems, but that’s because the name of our country is America, not Utopia, and the appropriate comparison isn’t to the Eden you might imagine, it’s to every other place on earth. Bill Maher

Open mind

There is a difference between keeping an open mind and believing something because you want it to be true. Jolene Blalock as Sub-Cmdr. T’Pol in Star Trek: Enterprise S1E11 (“Cold Front”)

Fear Itself

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is…fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I am convinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days. ‍Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Schadenfreude

Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness. ‍Micah 7:8-9 KJV

When Right ≠ Legal

There have been times throughout American history where what is right is not the same as what is legal. Sometimes to do the right thing you have to break a law. Edward Snowden

Focus and Belief

I never thought of the possibility of failing, only of the fame and glory I was going to get when I won. I could see it. I could almost feel it. When I proclaimed that I was the greatest of all time, I believed in myself, and I still do. Mohammed Ali

Fishing and Catching

If you keep fishing in same old sewers, you’ll keep catching the same old shit. Self

Disputio

Would you punch yourself in a street fight? Then don’t punch yourself in a word fight. Denzel Washington as Melvin Tolson in The Great Debaters

Commensurate compensation

You pay peanuts lady you wind up hiring monkeys. George Peppard as Col. John “Hannibal” Smith in The A-Team S2E1

Vainglorious achievement

Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not. Jeremiah 45:4-5 KJV

Apathy Nurtures Evil

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. Edmund Burke (disputed)

Ignorance is comforting

How great it would be if ignorance of danger was all it took to keep it away from the people we love. Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr William Riker in Star Trek: Picard S1E7 (“Nepenthe”)

Homily Paradox

If we’re supposed to make lemonade when life brings us lemons, when life brings us plums, should we make prune juice? Self

Preparation and Opportunity

Fortuna est quae fit cum praeparatio in occasionem incidit. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. Seneca

Success occurs when opportunity meets preparation. Zig Ziglar

Constant change

No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man. Heraclitus

Servants & Heroes

The hero is first a servant to his neighbor, his nation, or his cause. Self

Social Balance

When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle. Edmund Burke (1770)

MacGyver

Some people can MacGyver any problem. Other people somehow will MacFucker every problem. Self

Luxury of time

You can accomplish anything if you’re never in a hurry. Tom Hanks as Chelsey Sullenberger in Sully

Lives Lived

All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts. William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act II Scene VII

Unprecedented Until…

Everything is unprecedented until it happens for the first time. Tom Hanks as Chelsey Sullenberger in Sully

Horse’s Tail

Sometimes I’m the head, sometimes the tail. But even the tail leads when the horse finds it necessary to back up. Self

Confused and confusing

Well there you have it—one thing is perfectly clear: people are not perfectly clear. Doug Batchelor

Discovering Truth

[T]ruth is best discovered by powerful statements on both sides of the question. Lord John Scott Eldon (1751-1838) quoting Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

Respect our rights

Our rights don’t end where your fear begins. Freedom is scary. Deal with it. John Bryan

Live fully

So live, that when thy summons comes to join the innumerable caravan, which moves to that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death, thou go not, like the quarry-slave at night, scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave. William Cullen Bryant, “Thanatopsis”

Virtue bows

Napoleon went forth to seek Virtue, but, since she was not to be found, he got Power. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Many Eyes in Team

There is no ‘I’ in team, but there are twice as many ‘eyes’ as there are players and an ‘aye’ in the middle. Self

Transfer to my enemy

May this suffering be removed from me and cast upon my enemies (and may they know whence it came!). ‍Self (recovering from first-ever migraine)

Prioritizing

One impossible thing at a time. Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: Picard S1E4, (“Absolute Candor”)

Life Learning

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)

Tackling Tyrrany

Fear is the tool of a tyrant. Maurene Comey

We will not live on our knees, and you shouldn’t either. James Comey

Multiple explanations

That is a possible explanation but another explanation is possibly very probable. Self

Strength

My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is all I will ever need. Psalm 73:26 NLT

Effort and Grace

I’m doing what I can, when I can, as best I can, and hope for whatever grace can be found. Self

State of mind

Does having sex on the brain make the person a mastermind? Self

Opaque Communication

I guess I should warn you, if I turn out to be particularly clear, you’ve probably misunderstood what I’ve said. Alan Greenspan

I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I’m not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant. Alan Greenspan

Punctuality

Arriving late wastes your time. Arriving early wastes my time. Self

Team

Like I always say, there’s no I in team; there’s a me, though, if you jumble it up. Hugh Laurie as Dr. Gregory House in House S1E9

Extreme Hope

Extreme hopes are born from extreme misery. Bertrand Russell

Christian Mistreatment

The biggest difference between Christ and most Christians is that Christ didn’t mistreat people. George Carneal

Sorrow Is Not Pessimism

And the truth about me is not that I’m really volatile and I’m unstable, but that I’m really vibrant, and the color of my sorrow is just as bright as the stripes of my delight. Jenny Slate on All Things Considered

Surreal Reality

Reality is nothing more than a persistent illusion. Albert Einstein

Exercise Agency

There’s so much in life you can’t quit: you can’t quit your family, you can’t quit your body, you can’t quit your brain. So if there is something you have agency over, have agency over it. Lena Dunham

Decisive action

I don’t step on toes. I step on necks. Chuck Norris

Laws of a Democracy

The law has no moral or ethic; it is merely just or unjust, fair or unfair. Self

Disputation

The person who cannot refute a disagreeable position holds an indefensible position, lacks pathos, or lacks acumen. Self

Fighting Harder

Losing doesn’t make me want to quit. It makes me want to fight that much harder. Paul “Bear” Bryant

Foxhunts

If you go to a foxhunt, don’t dress as a fox. Tomás Milian as Col. Emilio Pantoya in Law & Order S10E24

Individual Freedom

A man’s right to swing his fist ends at his neighbor’s nose. A neighbor’s right to be nosy stops at a man’s fist. Self

Relationships

People date those they WANT to fall in love with, not those they know they actually could love. Self

Promises

A promise is a prison, Elnor. Do not make yourself another’s jailer. Amirah Vann as Zani in Star Trek: Picard S1E4, (“Absolute Candor”)

Cunning Delusions

I remember someone smarter than me once said, ‘your mental delusions, or your cognitive biases, or any defects in your thinking, are as smart as you.’ Solomon Anderson

Plan A and Plan B

There is no Plan B. You have Plan A, and you keep working at it until it happens. There is no Plan B. Zac Baker, 60 Days In

Plan B gets in the way of Plan A. Ashleigh Baker, 60 Days In

Deeds over words

What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Optics are secondary

Who cares about the cussing? Who cares about the optics? I care about the Constitution. I care about the fact that no one bothered to point out the real problem here. […] Even if it wasn’t an autistic kid, if it was an unsympathetic criminal, it is just as serious. John H. Bryan, Esq.

Not a Lawyer

You think that I have no strategy because I’m not a lawyer, but it’s because I’m not a lawyer that you don’t perceive my strategy—I am not limited by the way lawyers think. Self

Status Quo

When it is not necessary to change, it is necessary not to change. Lucius Cary, 2nd Viscount Falkland (1610–1643)

Value of a Word

A word is worth a thousand sentences (to an etymologist). Self

Difficult Forgiveness

It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend. William Blake

Thoroughness

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, but let’s not leave any stone unturned either. Self

Treatment Hurts

A hurt that cures is better than a hurt that endures. Self

Gendersplaining

Manspaining uses 100 words for unambiguous communication. Womansplaining uses 100 words for communicating absolutely nothing. Self

Stupidity Lensing

And you just float through it all as innocent as a newborn kitten. Are you really that stupid Mr. Radford, or do you think we are? Sam Waterston as A.D.A. Jack McCoy in Law & Order S9E24 (“Refuge”)

Control Versus Influence

Just because something is out of our control does not mean that it is outside of our influence. Self

Keeping it real

You need to know this if you don’t already: I am politically insensitive, I am culturally controversial. That is what I do, okay. I am not politically correct and I wear that with pride. Ralphie May

Accomplish Quickly

Anything worth doing is worth doing quickly, because science moves on, and we’re all mortal, and you want to do things. Eric Cornell, Nova S35E1 (“Absolute Zero”)

Pride in duty

I’d rather be an unemployed lawyer than a well-fed pet. Sam Waterston as D.A. Jack McCoy in Law & order S18E18

Scoundrel lawyers

The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers. Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2

Sharing Happiness

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

Questionable action

I hope you didn’t snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy in Law & Order S19E4

Incapable of Incompetence

You are incapable of that level of incompetence. Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker in Star Trek: The Next Generation S4E8

Blind Sight

So, you mock my blindness? Let me tell you this. You with your precious eyes, you’re blind to the corruption of your life, to the house you live in, those you live with—who are your parents? Do you know? All unknowing you are the scourge of your own flesh and blood… Sophocles, Oedipus Rex, ±ln 409

Future History

Some people think the future means the end of history. Well, we haven’t run out of history quite yet. Your father called the future ‘the undiscovered county.’ People can be very frightened of change. William Shatner as Capt. James T. Kirk in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Meaningful Pursuit

Never stop seeking what seems unattainable. Stephanie Niznik as The Wraith in Star Trek: Enterprise S1E18 (“Rogue Planet”)

Churchplay

Churchplay is a lot like horseplay. self

Ambivalent value

You can take back your memories; they’re no good to me. All-American Rejects, “Gives You Hell”

Difference

If things were different, they wouldn’t be the same. Michael Zaslow as Willard Tappan in Law & Order S5E9

Tom Foolery

If you’re ‘fooling around,’ you just might be the fool. Self

Appeasement Fallacy

Appeasers believe that if you keep on throwing steaks to a tiger, the tiger will turn vegetarian. Heywood Broun

Unnecessary Words

I don’t need to hear what you don’t need to say. Diana Muldaur as Katherine Pulaski in Star Trek: The Next Generation S2E14 (“The Icarus Factor”)

Squeaky Wheel

Squeaky wheel gets the grease, sometimes a sledge hammer. ‍Self