Short of nuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war.
Robert McnamaraRead
Poor planning or poor execution of plans is simply to let some force other than reason shape reality.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the importance of careful planning and execution in achieving desired outcomes.
Robert McNamara emphasizes that without proper planning and execution, our actions may be influenced by irrational forces instead of logical reasoning. It suggests that when we fail to take responsibility for our planning, we allow external circumstances to dictate our reality rather than shaping it through thoughtful choices and strategies.
In practice
In a business strategy meeting to emphasize the importance of thorough planning.
Short of nuclear war itself, population growth is the gravest issue the world faces. If we do not act, the problem will be solved by famine, riots, insurrection and war.
At my age, 85, I'm at age where I can look back and derive some conclusions about my actions. My rule has been try to learn, try to understand what happened. Develop the lessons and pass them on.
All the evidence of history suggests that man is indeed a rational animal, but with a near infinite capacity for folly. . . . He draws blueprints for Utopia, but never quite gets it built. In the end he plugs away obstinately with the only building material really ever at hand--his own part comic, part tragic, part cussed, but part glorious nature.
Coercion, after all, merely captures man. Freedom captivates him.
I want to say, and this is very important: at the end we lucked out. It was luck that prevented nuclear war. We came that close to nuclear war at the end. Rational individuals: Kennedy was rational; Khrushchev was rational; Castro was rational. Rational individuals came that close to total destruction of their societies. And that danger exists today.
The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations.
I made 5,127 prototypes of my vaccum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. Thatβs how I came up with a solution. So I donβt mind failure.
A lighthouse is more useful than a church.
God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed.
Egolessness is contentment. Egoless, you don't expect anything, and just a small child smiles at you, but it is so beautiful. What else could you need? Suddenly you see a flower and the flower sends its perfume to you. What else could you need? What more could you want? The whole sky goes on filling with stars, the whole life becomes a celebration because now everything is beautiful. Without expectation everything fulfills - just to breathe is enough, just to breathe is such a bliss.
Hurry is the weakness of fools.
Be mindful of the words that you use and the actions that you live and who you are and how it is you use your power. Keep clear at all times that you are what you say you are.
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