This site is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Alan William Smolowe who gave birth to the creation of this database.
Willard Quine, fully Willard Van Orman Quine
Uncritical semantics is the myth of a museum in which the exhibits are meanings and the words are labels. To switch languages is to change the labels.
We must live in groups; other people are like nutrients for us, and are absolutely essential for our survival.
Behavior | Conduct | Culture | Emotions | Order | Persuasion | Power | Preference | Think |
Willard Gibbs, fully Josiah Willard Gibbs
We avoid the gravest difficulties when, giving up the attempt to frame hypotheses concerning the constitution of matter, we pursue statistical inquiries as a branch of rational mechanics.
Behavior | Enough | Order | Perception |
Dependency is the basic survival mechanism of the human organism. When the adult gives up hope in his ability to cope and sees himself incapable of either fleeing or fighting, he is "reduced" to a state of depression. This very reduction with its parallel to the helplessness of infancy becomes . . . a plea for a solution to the problem of survival via dependency. The very stripping of one's defenses becomes a form of defensive maneuver.
Werner Heisenberg, fully Werner Karl Heisenberg
The concepts of classical physics are just a refinement of the concepts of daily life and are an essential part of the language which forms the basis of all natural science. Our actual situation in science is such that we do use the classical concepts for the description of the experiments, and it was the problem of quantum theory to find theoretical interpretation of the experiments on this basis. There is no use in discussing what could be done if we were other beings than we are. At this point we have to realize, as von Weizsacker has put it, that `Nature is earlier than man, but man is earlier than natural science.’
Behavior | Knowledge | Mathematics | Reality |
We are not as free and self-determining as we would like to believe, and we are not as independent as we pretend to be. We must face the fact that we are not as rational as we would like to think we are. The rational roots of our conduct are pathetically overvalued. We must appreciate the power of emotions over human behavior in order to effectively institute changes in that behavior. Despite a preference in the culture of autonomy for rational persuasion and a bias against manipulation and coercion, persuasion rarely works.
Unless we proceed cautiously, there might well arise a few generations of mystics who conceive of the orgone metaphysically, divorced from non-living nature and who do not comprehend it from the standpoint of natural science. And it seems to me that we have more than enough mysticism as it is.
Behavior | Blame | Fault | Influence | Means | People | Pity | War | World | Fault | Victim |
The fact that political ideologies are tangible, active realities does not prove their necessity. The bubonic plague was an extremely potent social reality. But nobody would have argued that, because it existed, it was necessary and nothing should be done about it.
Behavior | Character | Cleanliness | Energy | Enthusiasm | Force | Politics | Will | Work |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
For some reason, people take their cues from price action rather than from values. What doesn’t work is when you start doing things that you don't understand or because they worked last week for somebody else. The dumbest reason in the world to buy a stock is because it's going up.
Behavior | Business | Change | Compensation | Law | Will | Work | Business |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
Over that time we've been happy with that investment but I've got to tell you I'm happier today. It's a dream deal.
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
Now it's $200 billion. If we don't change the course, the rest of the world could own $15 trillion of us. That's pretty substantial. That's equal to the value of all American stock.
Behavior | Experience | People | Rationality |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
It’s class warfare; my class is winning, but they shouldn’t be.
Associates | Behavior | Better | People |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
The major asset in this category is gold, currently a huge favorite of investors who fear almost all other assets, especially paper money (of whose value, as noted, they are right to be fearful). Gold, however, has two significant shortcomings, being neither of much use nor procreative. True, gold has some industrial and decorative utility, but the demand for these purposes is both limited and incapable of soaking up new production. Meanwhile, if you own one ounce of gold for an eternity, you will still own one ounce at its end.
Behavior | Experience | Future | Hate | Nothing | People | Plan | Rationality | Will |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
It's class warfare, my class is winning, but they shouldn't be.
Associates | Behavior | Better | People |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
With enough insider information and a million dollars, you can go broke in a year.
Behavior |
Warren Buffett, fully Warren Edward Buffett, aka Oracle of Omaha
The attitude of our managers vividly contrasts with that of the young man who married a tycoon's only child, a decidedly homely and dull lass. Relieved, the father called in his new son- in-law after the wedding and began to discuss the future: Son, you're the boy I always wanted and never had. Here's a stock certificate for 50% of the company. You're my equal partner from now on.' Thanks, dad.' Now, what would you like to run? How about sales?' I'm afraid I couldn't sell water to a man crawling in the Sahara.' Well then, how about heading human relations?' I really don't care for people.' No problem, we have lots of other spots in the business. What would you like to do?' Actually, nothing appeals to me. Why don't you just buy me out?