- "Neoteny" is "remaining young," and it may be ironic that it is so little known, because human evolution has been dominated by it. Humans have evolved to their relatively high state by retaining the immature characteristics of their ancestors. Humans are the most advanced of mammals--although a case could be made for the dolphins--because they seldom grow up. Behavioral traits such as curiosity about the world, flexibility of response, and playfulness are common to practically all young mammals but are usually rapidly lost with the onset of maturity in all but humans. Humanity has advanced, when it has advanced, not because it has been sober, responsible, and cautious, but because it has been playful, rebellious, and immature.
- "They sky is more impersonal than the sea."
- "In the world according to the positivist, the inspiring thing about scrambled eggs it that any way you turn them they're sunny side up. In the world according to the existentialist, the hopeless thing about scrambled eggs is that any way you turn them they're scrambled."
- "The difference between a criminal and an outlaw is that while criminals frequently are victims, outlaws never are. Indeed, the first step toward being a true outlaw is the refusal to be victimized. All people who live subject to other people's laws are victims. People who break laws out of greed, frustration, or vengeance are victims. People who overturn the laws in order to replace them with their own laws are victims... We outlaws, however, live beyond the law. In a sense, then, we live beyond society. Have we a common goal, that goal is to turn the tale on the nature of society. when we succeed, we raise the exhilaration content of the universe. We even raise it a little bit when we fail. ... Outlaws, like poets, rearrange the nightmare."
- to be continued.
feb 6 2008 ∞
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feb 6 2008 +