Remembrance

When to the sessions
of sweet silent thought
I summon up remembrance
of things past....
(Shakespeare, from Natwar Singh's 'One Life is not Enough'

Malayalam Colloquial

പത്തു പുലിക്ക് അച്ചാരം വെച്ചിട്ട് ഒരു ചട്ടുകാലൻ പുലിയേയും കൊണ്ട് വന്നിരിക്കുന്നോടാ!

Lunatic, Humanist

The difference between a Humanist and a Lunatic is in fact one of degree

- A J Toynbee

Nothing is known perfectly which has not been masticated by the teeth of disputation

- Robert of Sorbonne

Civilization and Barbarism

On a stationary military frontier between a civilization and a barbarism, time always works in the barbarians' favour; and, besides this, the barbarians' advantages increases in geometrical progression at each arithmetical addition to the length of the line which the defenders of the civilization have to hold.

- A J Toynbee, A Study of History Vol 2, Vol 5

The weak spot of religion is its ridiculousness

- A J Toynbee, A Study of History Vol 5

Climate and Weather

Climate refers to the long-term equilibriums that the planet achieves; weather describes short-term deviations from it.

- Nate Silver (The Signal and the Noise)

Risk and Uncertainty

Risk greases the wheels of a free-market economy; uncertainty grinds them to a halt.

- Nate Silver (The Signal and the Noise)

Risk on livelihood

Human beings have an extraordinary capacity to ignore risks that threaten their livelihood, as though this will make them go away.

- Nate Silver (The Signal and the Noise)