You Finally Lay Your Burden Down
Authority will always let you down.
Terrible things happen for no reason.
Rules exist to improve life for the rulemakers and the majority, in that order. Disregard accordingly.
People do not mature. They learn to hide immaturity better.
Sooner or later, the common wisdom will invariably be proven wrong.
People die or move or grow or for whatever reason disappear from your life. But your life goes on.
“Friend” and “ally” are different things.
Beware those purporting to act in your interest.
Grownups lie.
Follow the money.
If there’s no money, follow the power.
No one has your best interests at heart but you.
Authority admires independence and self-reliance only in theory.
“Go with the flow” means “Shut up and keep your head down”.
Being left alone is better than being championed by someone with temporary congruent interests.
Trust no one.
(Crystallized on reading this bit from Becks. Poor Ben. Twelve more years to daylight, buddy.)
November 12th, 2007 at 3:13 pm e
this little string of optimism brings to mind the old Arlo Guthrie christmas song -
Santa Claus wears a red suit, he’s a communist
long hair and a beard, must be a pacifist
November 12th, 2007 at 3:18 pm e
How about “Refined sugar is the devil?”
November 12th, 2007 at 5:03 pm e
Sounds like your grade school experience must have been almost entirely unlike my own. Not to say that I don’t agree with what you’re saying, just that it’s not what I got out of grade school.
November 12th, 2007 at 7:31 pm e
I don’t even know Becky or Ben, but I want you all to know that the only thing stopping me from driving to that child’s school with a shovel and a pickup truck is that I have heard that small kids are sometimes traumatized by seeing people get whacked.
November 13th, 2007 at 11:08 am e
I might envy you somewhat, Nate. But, as the Kinkster says, a happy childhood is the worst possible preparation for life. So there’s a balance to be struck. (Before Ben got boned on his snack, I had been noodling around with this under the title, “Everything I Needed To Know About Working For Disney I Learned In Grade School” but then I realized some truths were universal.)
November 13th, 2007 at 3:13 pm e
Wow. I hope I never get as pessimistic as you.
November 13th, 2007 at 8:55 pm e
Pessimistic? I hate authority, distrust power, and assume responsibility for everything important to me. Yet. I have a half-interest in a small family business (most of those fail), I am married (ditto), I have dozens of long-term excellent friends (despite never having had the chance to develop that skill), a cat I believe will someday like me (despite all evidence to the contrary), and a modest gambling habit (despite a decent grasp of probability math). I might be the most optimistic person you know.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:46 am e
Yeah, I still think “Trust no one” is pessimistic.
But then, I’m one of those happy-childhood people, which apparently means that I need help crossing the street in your worldview.
November 14th, 2007 at 9:52 am e
No, it doesn’t. Not even sure how you got to that.
November 14th, 2007 at 1:24 pm e
I laugh to think that Al is pessimistic. Just think about my household, in which *I* am the optimistic half of the couple…
November 15th, 2007 at 9:46 am e
Legal Counsel will always have your best interests at heart, assuming you have money to pay them. And if you don’t have any money, you still will get a heartfelt, “Dude that sucks.” And that my friend, is free……