The honest philosopher is rewarded with poison; the hypocrite is rewarded with power.

1K: There will always be user error.
Melville: I think I could idiot proof this thing... but I do take your point. Pellegrino once almost killed himself with a bucket.

There's no human building that can survive without maintenance. Roots are stronger than concrete.

Is it possible that on some level, people want to believe that everything's going to get worse? That it's comforting to think that humanity is bad and every solution will just go wrong? Because that way, you're never responsible. You never have to take on responsibility for anything outside yourself and never have to grow up.

The beauty of the universe and the beauty of what we can accomplish within it are two related but separate things, and the separation matters.