quotes Archives - Richard Hart

All posts filed under “quotes”

June 4, 2015

Into the abyss

Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you. Friedrich Nietzsche

March 4, 2014

The Sin of Not Improving

“It’s no sin to be a beginner or an intermediate. It’s no sin to be a competent programmer instead of a leader. The sin is in how long you remain a beginner or an intermediate after you know what you have to do to improve.”

February 16, 2014

A Distant Mountain

“Something that worked for me was imagining that where I wanted to be was a mountain. A distant mountain. My goal. And I knew that as long as I kept walking towards the mountain I would be all right. And when I truly was not sure what to do, I could not stop, and think about whether it was taking me towards or away from the mountain.” – Neil Gaiman

July 24, 2013

Building a cathedral

Three stone masons in the middle ages were hard at work when a visitor came along and asked them what they were doing.

The first stone mason was hard at work, sweat beading his brow. “I am cutting this stone”, he grumbled.

The second stone mason, though less distraught, responded with a deep sigh, “I’m building a parapet”.

The third stone mason, replied with a radiant face, “I am building a cathedral that will glorify God for centuries to come”.

March 23, 2013

Peter’s laws

If anything can go wrong, fix it! (To hell with Murphy!)
When given a choice, take both.
Multiple projects lead to multiple successes.
Start at the top and work your way up.
Do it by the book… but be the author.
When forced to compromise, ask for more.
If you can’t beat them, join them, and then beat them.
If it’s worth doing, it’s got to be done now!
If you can’t win, change the rules.
If you can’t change the rules, then ignore them.
Perfection is not optional.
When faced without a challenge, make one.
“No” simply means begin again at one level higher.
Don’t walk when you can run.
When in doubt, THINK!
Patience is a virtue, but persistence to the point of success is a blessing.
The squeaky wheel gets replaced.
The faster you move, the slower time passes, the longer you live!
Bureaucracy is a challenge to be conquered with a righteous attitude, a tolerance for stupidity, and a bulldozer when necessary.

January 28, 2013

Quotes: Mevlana Rumi

“The lion who breaks the enemy’s ranks is a minor hero compared to the lion who overcomes himself.” Mevlana Rumi

November 13, 2012

Ben Franklin

“Some people die at 25 and aren’t buried until 75.” Ben Franklin

April 27, 2012

Scott Adams

“Losers have goals. Winners have systems.” Scott Adams

March 1, 2012

Neil deGrasse Tyson

“The problem, often not discovered until late in life, is that when you look for things in life like love, meaning, motivation, it implies they are sitting behind a tree or under a rock. The most successful people in life recognize, that in life they create their own love, they manufacture their own meaning, they generate their own motivation.” Neil deGrasse Tyson

November 22, 2011

Your body is your home

“It blows me away every time I walk into a nice home and meet its proud, overweight, out-of-shape owner. They just don’t get it. Your real home is not your apartment or your house or your city or even your country, but your body. It is the only thing you, your soul and your mind, will always live inside of so long as you walk the earth. It is the single most important physical thing in this world you can take care of.” Mark Lauren

October 24, 2008

Andy Bechtolsheim on Google

“Andy Bechtolsheim is also famous for being one of the first investors in Google. After getting the pitch he went to his car to write a $100,000 check for the not-yet-incorporated company. At one stage I saw that investment was valued at $1.5 billion”

[Via HackerNews]

October 5, 2008