Wednesday, August 11, 2021

I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night

The Old Astronomer to His Pupil
by Sarah Williams

Reach me down my Tycho Brahe,—I would know him when we meet,
When I share my later science, sitting humbly at his feet;
He may know the law of all things, yet be ignorant of how
We are working to completion, working on from then till now.

Pray, remember, that I leave you all my theory complete,
Lacking only certain data, for your adding as is meet;
And remember, men will scorn it, ’tis original and true,
And the obloquy of newness may fall bitterly on you.

But, my pupil, as my pupil you have learnt the worth of scorn;
You have laughed with me at pity, we have joyed to be forlorn;
What, for us, are all distractions of men’s fellowship and smiles?
What, for us, the goddess Pleasure, with her meretricious wiles?

You may tell that German college that their honour comes too late.
But they must not waste repentance on the grizzly savant’s fate;
Though my soul may set in darkness, it will rise in perfect light;
I have loved the stars too truly to be fearful of the night.

What, my boy, you are not weeping? You should save your eyes for sight;
You will need them, mine observer, yet for many another night.
I leave none but you, my pupil, unto whom my plans are known.
You “have none but me,” you murmur, and I “leave you quite alone”?

Well then, kiss me,—since my mother left her blessing on my brow,
There has been a something wanting in my nature until now;
I can dimly comprehend it,—that I might have been more kind,
Might have cherished you more wisely, as the one I leave behind.

I “have never failed in kindness”? No, we lived too high for strife,—
Calmest coldness was the error which has crept into our life;
But your spirit is untainted, I can dedicate you still
To the service of our science: you will further it? you will!

There are certain calculations I should like to make with you,
To be sure that your deductions will be logical and true;
And remember, “Patience, Patience,” is the watchword of a sage,
Not to-day nor yet to-morrow can complete a perfect age.

I have sworn, like Tycho Brahe, that a greater man may reap;
But if none should do my reaping, ’twill disturb me in my sleep.
So be careful and be faithful, though, like me, you leave no name;
See, my boy, that nothing turn you to the mere pursuit of fame.

I must say Good-bye, my pupil, for I cannot longer speak;
Draw the curtain back for Venus, ere my vision grows too weak:
It is strange the pearly planet should look red as fiery Mars,—
God will mercifully guide me on my way amongst the stars.

Friday, June 11, 2021

費茲傑羅

要評判是否具備第一流的智慧,就是看心智中能否同時秉持兩種互相衝突的概念,而仍然能夠正常運作。

--《崩潰》史考特‧費茲傑羅

Tuesday, January 05, 2021

火鳳燎原

四 所謂的蒼天,就是民願,人民的意願就是蒼天,也是我們征途上的指標。 任憑你的力量多大,蒼天是改變不了的。 蒼天不在乎時間流逝,不在乎生命飄零,只在乎對與錯! 你意向不決,只因你怕禍乃無辜,壞了大哥的名聲。 但是,一個視自己顏面重於對錯的人,根本做不了大事! 董卓視顏面如糞土,做事泯滅人性,當成一代霸主。只是…… 這人不顧民願,不分對錯,無異於逆天而行,終必走上滅亡之路!

《查拉圖斯特拉如是說》

「人和樹原本都是一樣的。他愈是想朝光明的高處挺升,他的根就愈會深入黑暗的地底--伸入惡中。」

性格型態

p.5 當判斷別人的行為時,應將自己換做對方的地位來感受他們對怹們自己和對世界的看法。而掌乴斷自己的行為時,則宜以他人的眼光來看自己,才能避免低估情境的缺失。 …… 面對自我時要有勇氣,面對別人時則要有同理心。

p.32 在真實生活中,沒有任何人是某些心理成分隨意的組合體。如果有的話,這樣的人必定沒有屬於自己完整的人格型態,或許就像劣級小說中的角色一般,他的性格特質沒有意義地相互排斥、矛盾(特質可以互相衝突,但不可能互斥)。

p.160~161 在朝著第八型領導人物成長的過程中,思考者瞭解到,即使自認為知道得不夠多,他們已經比其他人懂得更多了。他們也能接受自己在沒有絕對弄清楚每件事前便可以有所行動。因為在行動中可以繼續學習,而當新的問題出現時他們可以據此加以解決。所謂絕對的確信只是一種幻覺,是無法達到的目標。

--
性格型態 Personality Types
作者:Don Richard Riso
譯者:吳振能、傅世良、陳營生
出版社:遠流
出版日期:1991年6月 ISBN:9573212218

我完全是混合的

我自己的意識和外表上不可分割的自我,和我所想像的相距甚遠,我無須為我的自憐而感到羞恥!我是由一些脆弱的東西聯合指揮的外在代表--一些衝突指令的持有人,而指令則是來自分裂帝國裡的不安主人……正當我寫這些字句時,甚至能如此寫下來時,我正對著我心深處的個體偽裝,而我現在知道這個個體並不存在。我完全是混合的,男性混和女性,父母混和子女。在塞芬河(River Severn)遇見豪士門(Housman)詩中的塞爾特人和撒克遜人之前(引自《一個什羅浦郡青年》),敵對的染色體片段已相互衝突數百萬年。 --比爾‧漢米爾敦(Bill Hamilton)
(節錄自《23對染色體》)

流浪者之歌

世上並不存在時間的實體。
河水在同一時刻無處不在,無論源頭或河口,或瀑布、渡口、水流、海洋以及山脈間;同時,河水只存在於當前的時間中,並非過去或未來的影子。

--《流浪者之歌》赫曼‧赫塞

像我這樣的一個拉子

不會太近,讓我有錯誤的期待,也不會太遠,讓我痛苦
「你好嗎?我一切都好。我都記得。」

如果這是你生命裡必然的過程,我怎麼可以成為你的負擔
如果我只是你的經過,希望你經過我之後,到一個更好的地方