I finished by saying that it struck me that all the ethical systems I was discussing were after the fact. That is, that people act as they are disposed to, but they like to feel afterwards that they were right and so they invent systems that approve of their dispositions.

Alexei Panshin

Categorized in : People Facts Ethical

It appears that the ground of being which underlies by Alexei Panshin

It appears that the ground of being which underlies

forgiving hurt stories

Maturity is the ability to sort the portions of truth from the accepted lies and self-deceptions that you have grown up with.

maturity self lying

You can't stamp on people and not get hurt in return. by Alexei Panshin

You can't stamp on people and not get hurt in return.

return hurt people

This is what makes science so hard, and ultimately so fun. Think of the limits of what we know as a great suite of rooms inhabited by vast numbers of incredibly busy, incredibly messy, nearsighted people, all of whom are eccentric recluses.

numbers fun thinking

There's no reason to trade insults. We have our way of life and they have theirs. I wouldn't live as they do, but disrespect seems pointless. I'm sure there are good people among them.

disrespect people way

Brains are no good if you don't use them. by Alexei Panshin

Brains are no good if you don't use them.

ifs use brain

Everybody should espouse three or four harmless crank theories for the pure pleasure of having something harmless to be cranky about. And when a theory of this sort proves correct, it is a true moment for celebration.

celebration four three

Population pressure is the ultimate cause of every war. by Alexei Panshin

Population pressure is the ultimate cause of every war.

population pressure war

There is a lesson that I learned at twelve - the world does not end at the edge of a quad. There are people outside. The world does not end on the Fourth Level. There are people elsewhere. It took me two years to learn to apply the lesson - that neither does the world end with the Ship. If you want to accept life, you have to accept the whole bloody universe. The universe is filled with people, and there is not a single solitary spear carrier among them.

two people years

Some people get a feeling of power from being unpleasant. by Alexei Panshin

Some people get a feeling of power from being unpleasant.

feelings people

If I had the opportunity, I would make the proposal that no man should be killed except by somebody who knows him well enough for the act to have impact. No death should be like nose blowing. Death is important enough that it should affect the person who causes it.

impact opportunity men