Don't ask the barber whether you need a haircut.

Don't ask the barber whether you need a haircut.

I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a read more

I have only a small flickering light to guide me in the darkness of a thick forest. Up comes a theologian and blows it out.

Widespread caffeine use explains a lot about the twentieth century.

Widespread caffeine use explains a lot about the twentieth century.

American public education is a remarkable enterprise; it succeeds best where it fails. Imagine an industry that consistently fails to read more

American public education is a remarkable enterprise; it succeeds best where it fails. Imagine an industry that consistently fails to do what it sets out to do. a factory where this year's product is invariably sleazier than last year's but, nevertheless, better than next year's. Imagine a corporation whose executives are always spending vast sums of money on studies designed to discover just what it is they are supposed to do and then vaster sums for further studies on just how to do it. Imagine a plant devoted to the manufacture of factory seconds to be sold at a loss. Imagine a producer of vacuum cleaners that rarely work hiring whole platoons of engineers who will, in time, report that it is, in fact, true that the vacuum cleaners rarely really work, and who will, for a larger fee, be glad to find out why, if that's possible. If you discover some such outfit, don't invest in it. Unfortunately, we are all required to invest in public education.

Custom, that unwritten law, By which the people keep even kings in awe.

Custom, that unwritten law, By which the people keep even kings in awe.

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are read more

And what is a good citizen? Simply one who never says, does or thinks anything that is unusual. Schools are maintained in order to bring this uniformity up to the highest possible point. A school is a hopper into which children are heaved while they are still young and tender; therein they are pressed into certain standard shapes and covered from head to heels with official rubber-stamps.

None save great men have been the authors of great heresies.

None save great men have been the authors of great heresies.

Every failure teaches a man something, to wit, that he will probably fail again.

Every failure teaches a man something, to wit, that he will probably fail again.

Those families, you know, are our upper crust, not upper ten
thousand.

Those families, you know, are our upper crust, not upper ten
thousand.