Brian Skinner

“Mixed with this frustration was the suspicion that Northern lives were being wasted because of mismanagement and political meddling, a suspicion reinforced by Lincoln’s firing of McClellan, who, despite his poor showing in the field, was widely respected as a military professional. These are the views reflected in Holmes’s letter. They were Copperhead views, but one did not need to be a Democrat in the fall of 1862 to share them.”
― Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America

“When the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, on January 1, 1863, Abbott wrote from the front to his aunt to explain that “[t]he president’s proclamation is of course received with universal disgust, particularly the part which enjoins officers to see that it is carried out. You may be sure that we shan’t see to any thing of the kind, having decidedly too much reverence for the constitution.”
― Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club: A Story of Ideas in America

“Before matter can peep forth—as a pebble, a snowflake, or even a subatomic particle—it has to be observed by a living creature.”
― Robert P. Lanza, Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe

“Fourth Principle of Biocentrism: Without consciousness, “matter” dwells in an undetermined state of probability. Any universe that could have preceded consciousness only existed in a probability state.”
― Robert P. Lanza, Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe