John Galbraith
John Galbraith
few tempting writer
Few things are more tempting to a writer than to repeat, admiringly, what he has said before
dogmatic people
When people are the least sure, they are often the most dogmatic
almost busy changing choice faced gets mind proving
Faced with the choice between changing one's mind and proving there is no need to do so, almost everyone gets busy on the proof.
boom fall january level likely market matter simple year
On the first of January of 1929, as a simple matter of probability, it was most likely that the boom would end before the year was out, ... The market wouldn't level out; it would fall precipitately.
books-and-reading concluded continue enjoy returned several
Several times I concluded that there was too much detail; always I returned to continue and enjoy the book.
although case proved wealth widely
Wealth is not without its advantages, and the case to the contrary, although it has often been made, has never proved widely persuasive.
anchor far firm nonsense seas troubled
It is a far, far better thing to have a firm anchor in nonsense than to put on the troubled seas of thought.
anybody enormous experience gives opening speech washington
The overwhelming idea I would like to see is some end in Washington to this enormous preoccupation with sex, as it gives an opening for speech to anybody who's had any experience with it,
becoming created machine servants serve
We are becoming the servants in thought, as in action, of the machine we have created to serve us
civilized edge life perhaps total
We are on the edge of a total end to civilized existenceon this planet, perhaps the end of life itself.
assertion associated fact itself man manner reality wisdom
Wisdom itself is often an abstraction associated not with fact or reality but with the man who asserts it and the manner of its assertion
age-and-aging among antidote authority congress criticized democracy fetish length modern national observers organs positions private public regardless rewards states uniquely united
An important antidote to American democracy is American gerontocracy. The positions of eminence and authority in Congress are allotted in accordance with length of service, regardless of quality. Superficial observers have long criticized the United States for making a fetish of youth. This is unfair. Uniquely among modern organs of public and private administration, its national legislature rewards senility.
although blacks city colors culinary depended discovered habits harmony history jobs less lived lowest meanest melting peaceful people puerto races racial rather remains return since themselves varied visitor wages worst york
Once the visitor was told rather repetitively that this city was the melting pot; never before in history had so many people of such varied languages, customs, colors and culinary habits lived so amicably together. Although New York remains peaceful by most standards, this self-congratulation is now less often heard, since it was discovered some years ago that racial harmony depended unduly on the willingness of the blacks (and latterly the Puerto Ricans) to do for the other races the meanest jobs at the lowest wages and then to return to live by themselves in the worst slums.
bland days disturbing lead looked man mark minor seek taken
these are the days when men... seek the comfortable and the accepted; when the man of controversy is looked upon as a disturbing influence; when originality is taken to be a mark of instability; and when, in minor modification of the scriptural parable, the bland lead the bland.