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Stupidity is causing harm to others without benefiting oneself.

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Quote of the Week 10 “ Stupidity is causing harm to others without benefiting oneself, even potentially incurring losses in the process.” ―  Carlo M. Cipolla  (3rd Law of Human Stupidity) Triggered by a reference to the law by Prof. Gunter Dueck in a recent interview (@22:27 mins): “ Dummheit ist die Attitüde, anderen zu schaden, ohne sich selbst zu nutzen.” This is the essence of stupidity : actions that are not merely self-destructive but harm others irrationally. The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity is an essay by Italian economist Carlo M. Cipolla, originally published in 1976. It humorously yet incisively outlines five "laws" that describe human stupidity and its impact on society.  Here's a summary (created by X/Grok3): Law 1: Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation. Stupidity is more widespread than people assume, and it catches us off guard because we tend to overestimate rational behavior. Law 2: The probabi...
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Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.

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Quote of the Week 9 “ Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.” ― Arthur Conan Doyle , The Valley of Fear  ( Sherlock Holmes ) Triggered by the use of the quote in the book " Shitbürgertum " ( Ulf Poschardt ).
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Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word 'no.'

Quote of the Week 8 “ Any headline that ends in a question mark can be answered by the word ' no.' ” ―  Ian Betteridge ( Betteridge's Law of Headline )
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Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.

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Quote of the Week 7 " Leaders who refuse to listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say. " ― Andy Stanley   Often quoted as: " Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say. "
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I only improve careless mistakes, not the ones that suit my nature.

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Quote of the Week 6 " I only improve careless mistakes, not the ones that suit my nature. " ―  Michel de Montaigne Triggered by the discussion of Montaigne's  Essais  in a  WDR 5 podcast . A translation of the quote published in German : "Ich verbessere nur die Fehler, die ich aus Unachtsamkeit begehe, nicht die, welche meiner Art entsprechen."
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Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right.

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Quote of the Week 5 " Whether you think you can, or you think you can't—you're right." ― attributed to   Henry Ford Source:   Goodreads Source:  Wisdomly.net
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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.

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Quote of the Week 4 “ The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails.” ―  William Arthur Ward
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Thinking is difficult, that's why most people judge.

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Quote of the Week 3 “ Thinking is difficult, that's why most people judge.” ― Carl Jung ( misquoted ) True quote according to Wikiquote : “ Thinking is difficult. Therefore, let the herd pronounce judgement.” Source:   reddit Related : “ When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself. ” ―  Wayne Dyer
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It’s not the achievement that counts, but the tale that amounts.

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Quote of the Week 2 “ It’s not the achievement that counts, but the tale that amounts.” Transposed into English by  ChatGPT based on the German wordplay: “ Nicht das Erreichte zählt, sondern das Erzählte reicht.” ―  misattributed  to  Alfred Dorfer   Which in turn is a twist of the original BMW slogan: “ Nicht das  Erzählte reicht, sondern das  Erreichte zählt.” See my recent citation on LinkedIn for context. _________ Alternative translations by ChatGPT : “ It's not what you achieve that counts, but what you weave into the tale that amounts. ” “ It's not what you achieve that matters, but the story you leave that flatters. ” “ It’s not what is achieved that’s worth achieving, but what is retold that’s worth believing. ” Other translations by  X/Grok : “ It's not the achievements that count, but the stories that amount.” “ Not the deed, but the creed in the tale we feed. ” “ Not what's achieved matters, but what's narrated flatters. ” “ Not the ...
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Quote of the Year 2024

Quote of the Year 2024* "The best way to destroy the beauty of a plan is to intend to implement the plan." ― Joschka Breitner (pseudonym; IRL   Karsten Dusse )   [ CW 11 ] Runner-up "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans." ― John Lennon   [ CW 5 ] * as measured by LinkedIn impressions.
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