Leandro

“The library can make sure that nobody has a good excuse for forgetting what happens and striving to prevent repetition. But it cannot stop even that. People have to want to know. I wish I could tell you that free and easy access to information solves these problems—it doesn’t. People find their own wells of poison to drink from.”
― Mark Lawrence, The Book That Held Her Heart

“The innocent believe that there are boundaries over which our kind will not step. The complacent understand that there are walls of decency and conscience safeguarding our daily lives. Thick stone walls mortared with faith.”
― Mark Lawrence, The Book That Held Her Heart

“It turns out that the most important lesson that history teaches us is that history should not teach us. Lessons should be learned, not taught. Wisdom has to be earned, and no number of words can wrap the gift of knowledge sufficiently to keep it safe from misuse. The definition of madness is repeating the same action and expecting a different result.”
― Mark Lawrence, The Book That Broke the World

“Obviously,” said God, “it is a seat.” “It is not,” said the Wonk. “There’s no way.” “It is a seat,” God asserted calmly. The Wonk tried to sit on it, ending up propped at a weird angle, stooped forwards like a bird roosting in an eave. “Why would anybody make a seat like this? Is this some weird art nouveau fashion thing?” “It is so that nobody can rest on it,” God said simply. “Well, they damn well nailed that part of it.” The Wonk jumped up. “What’s this got to do with anything?” “It is a trivial illustration of the philosophy espoused by those who gave me my priorities,” God said. “Exhibit A is a product of a decision that the good, hardworking people of the world should not see the indigent and the transient sleeping on their benches, in their rail stations, in their public spaces. Hence the benches were replaced by something that nobody, wanted or unwanted, could comfortably use, to ensure that those few who might have used them improperly could not. It is a small thing, but it is indicative of a mind-set. A pattern of thought repeated at every level. No work because a robot took your job? Do you think such humans were ‘given a chance to be themselves’ or just judged to be idle by the minds behind Exhibit A?”
― Adrian Tchaikovsky, Service Model