Headline in newspaper– “Safety experts say school bus passengers should be belted”
More…
- Grandmother of eight makes hole in one
- Deaf mute gets new hearing in killing
- Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers
- Quarter of a million Chinese live on water
- Farmer bill dies in house
- Iraqi head seeks arms
Double meanings can be funny. Contradictions in everyday life and language are also often humorous…
I can resist all things except temptation
Always remember you’re unique, just like everyone else
If it weren’t for the killings, Washington would have one of the lowest crime rates in the country– a former mayor of Washington, DC
Anarchy is better than no government at all
If it weren’t for electricity we’d all be watching television by candlelight– George Gobel
We have no choice but to believe in human free will
What’s another word for thesaurus– Steven Wright
It is not an optical illusion, it just looks like one– Phil White
I haven’t committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law– a former mayor of NYC
Illiterate? Write today for free help.
The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep– a famous US Senator
If you’re killed, you’ve lost a very important part of your life– a well-known movie star
I’m going to graduate on time, no matter how long it takes– a basketball player at the University of Pittsburgh
I’ve told you a million times not to exaggerate– your mother
Now for something serious…
Contradictions can be comical– but not when they are rules for life.
In the modern world, much of what passes for wisdom on how life ought to be lived is fraught with contradictions– a mismatch of ideas distilled from a cherished song, a favorite movie, the back of a cereal box….
For example, how often do you hear people talk about the infinite worth of the individual, the need to show unconditional love, or the necessity of always being yourself. Are these solid ideas or are they cliches that won’t stand the test of serious conversation.
If an individual is of infinite worth, how can other individuals be worth anything? In a finite universe, how can there be room for even one thing of infinite worth?
How can finite humans makes claims of unconditional love without resorting to hypocrisy?
Whose value system are people pursuing when they strive to be authentic– their own or one imposed upon them by the prevailing culture?
A life lived on the basis of cliches would be comical if it weren’t for the human tragedy.
Humans aren’t of infinite value, but they do have tremendous worth.
Unconditional love sounds attractive, but it devolves into indifference under the weight of human limitations.
Being truly authentic is impossible, but people do have power to make really important choices.
–Bill Brewer
Tags: basketball, electricity, George Gobel, insomnia, NYC, Phil White, Steven Wright, University of Pittsburgh, Washington
