There are no surprising facts, only models that are surprised by facts; and if a model is surprised by the facts, it is no credit to that model.
Eliezer YudkowskyRead
Victory has a hundred fathers but defeat is an orphan.
Interpretation
Success is often attributed to many, while failure is typically faced alone.
This quote by Galeazzo Ciano emphasizes the phenomenon where many individuals come forward to claim credit for a successful outcome, as success is often celebrated and brings recognition. In contrast, defeat or failure often leaves individuals to grapple with their loss independently, highlighting the tendency of people to distance themselves from unfavorable results and the inherent loneliness of failure.
In practice
During a team meeting, this quote can be shared to illustrate how many people want to be associated with successful projects.
There are no surprising facts, only models that are surprised by facts; and if a model is surprised by the facts, it is no credit to that model.
Older men start wars, but younger men fight them.
The idea that women are innately gentle is a fantasy, and a historically recent one. Kali, the Hindu goddess of destruction, is depicted as wreathed in male human skulls; the cruel entertainments of the Romans drew audiences as female as they were male; Boudicca led her British troops bloodily into battle.
We now think it hilarious that medieval streets were used as open sewers. Equally, our descendants will say: 'You won't believe this, but people were once allowed to hurl a couple of tons of dangerous metal around smashing into each other.'
Men must be governed by God or they will be ruled by tyrants.
Our tradition of political thought had its definite beginning in the teachings of Plato and Aristotle. I believe it came to a no less definite end in the theories of Karl Marx.
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