Amy Coltrane > Recent Status Updates

“The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of imagining a new primary color, or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in.”

“I am okay with incorrect answers; I have an eternity in which to correct my misconceptions, but my soul will wither if I have no questions.”

“One of the hardest things about being a parent or teacher is believing (to the point of acting on your belief) that truth will stand up to scrutiny. …The same fear drives modern educators to prescribe textbook: ‘The information is all there. Don’t question it; receive it blindly.’ …If we want our children to become free adults, we have to be radically different educators.”

“Until you conquer the fear of being an outsider, an outsider you will remain.”

“You will have noticed that most dogs cannot understand pointing. You point to a bit of food on the floor; the dog, instead of looking at the floor, sniffs at your finger. A finger is a finger to him, and that is all. His world is all fact and no meaning.”

“I have received no assurance that anything we can do will eradicate suffering. I think the best results are obtained by people who work quietly away at limited objectives…the dentist who can stop one toothache has deserved better of humanity than all the men who think they have some scheme for producing a perfectly healthy race.”

“Happy work is best done by the man who takes his long-term plans somewhat lightly and works from moment to moment ‘as to the Lord’…The present is the only time in which any duty can be done or any grace received.”

“Be relentless in taking responsibility for your own life and everything under your control (but not those things outside of it). This is a quick path away from powerlessness.”