The three basic material rights -- continuity, mutual obligation, and the pursuit of happiness. David Brin More Quotes by David Brin More Quotes From David Brin I regret having been the bearer of ambiguous tidings. David Brin i-regretambiguousregret I would normally never set out to write a trilogy. David Brin trilogieswriting Prison for the crime of puberty -- that was how secondary school had seemed. David Brin crimeprisonschool Gaia spins on, silently contemplating what it means to be born into a sarcastic universe. David Brin bornsarcasticmean Life is not fair... Anyone who says it is, or even that it ought to be, is a fool or worse. David Brin oughtfoollife-is Change is the very fabric of our time. David Brin fabricour-time Where subtlety fails us we must simply make do with cream pies. David Brin creampiefailing My first duty to write a gripping yarn. Second is to convey credible characters who make you feel what they feel. Only third comes the idea. David Brin writingcharacterideas Only a knowledgeable, empowered and vocal citizenry can perform well in democracy. David Brin empoweringdemocracypolitical The worst mistake of first contact, made throughout history by individuals on both sides of every new encounter, has been the unfortunate habit of making assumptions. It often proved fatal. David Brin literaturemistakefirsts History and geology show what an eyeblink it's been since our current, comfortable culture came about. And yet that culture is using up absolutely everything at a ferocious rate. David Brin geologycurrentsculture My education and background thoroughly inform my writing David Brin surfingliteraturewriting You don't have conversations with microprocessors. You tell them what to do, then helplessly watch the disaster when they take you literally! David Brin disasterconversationwatches I hate the whole übermensch, superman temptation that pervades science fiction. I believe no protagonist should be so competent, so awe-inspiring, that a committee of 20 really hard-working, intelligent people couldn't do the same thing. David Brin hard-workhatebelieve What point was there in pursuing an ever-elusive popularity? David Brin elusivepopularity With gritty action and realistic science, Peter Watts brings to life a dark and vivid world. David Brin vividdarkworld Creative people see Prometheus in a mirror, never Pandora. David Brin mirrorsinspirationallife Self-awareness is probably overrated. A complex, self-regulating system doesn't need it in order to be successful, or even smart. David Brin smartsuccessfulself Every marvel of our age arose out of the critical give and take of an open society. No other civilization ever managed to incorporate this crucial innovation, weaving it into daily life. And if you disagree with this... say so! David Brin innovationgivingcivilization If there are still honest-smart men and women within those old and noble traditions, they should think carefully, observe and diagnose the illness. They should face the contradiction. Discuss the conflation. And then do as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates and many others have done. Choose the miracle of creative competition over an idolatry of cash. They should stand up. David Brin smartmenthinking
