Out of the Way
Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it. –Chinese proverb
Philosophy of Dread
Charlie Brown: “I have a new philosophy. I’m only going to dread one day at a time.”
Nature, the Fault Finder
Murphy’s Third Law: Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Suspicious Altruism
Nothing is more generally suspected than an altruistic gesture and those who throw bread upon waters are accused of pollution.
It Couldn’t Be Done
Listen to these examples of inventions and idea that some people said “couldn’t be done” so they resisted the new.
- The first successful cast-iron plow, invented in the United States in 1797, was rejected by New Jersey farmers under the theory that cast iron poisoned the land and stimulated the growth of weeds.
- An eloquent authority in the United States declared that the introduction of the railroad would require the building of many insane asylums, since people would be driven mad with terror at the sight of locomotives rushing across the country.
- In Germany it was proved by “experts” that if trains went at the frightful speed of 15 miles an hour, blood would spurt from the travelers’ noses and passengers would suffocate when going through tunnels.
- Commodore Vanderbilt dismissed Westinghouse and his new air brakes for trains, stating, “I have no time to waste on fools.”
- Those who loaned Robert Fulton money for his steamboat project stipulated that their names be withheld for fear of ridicule were it known they supported anything so “foolhardy/”
- In 1881, when the New York YMCA announced typing lessons for women, vigorous protests were made on the grounds that the female constitution would break down under the strain.
- Men insisted that iron ships would not float, that they would damage more easily than wooden ships when grounding, that it would be difficult to preserve the iron bottom from rust, and that iron would deflect the compass.
- Joshua Coppersmith was arrested in Boston for trying to sell stock in the telephone. “All well-informed people know that it is impossible to transmit the human voice over a wire.”
- The editor of the Springfield Republican refused an invitation to ride in an early automobile, claiming that it was incompatible with the dignity of his position.
Have a Nice Day
Most of us in our more cynical moments have questioned the sincerity of people who tell everybody to “have a nice day.” One lady was overheard saying to someone who told her to have a nice day, “I have other plans.”
Regular Killjoys
An optimist may see a light where there is none, but why must the pessimist always run to blow it out?
The Experts Have Spoken
Charles H. Duell, US Patent Office director: “Everything that can be invented has been invented” (1899).
Warner Brothers: “Who wants to hear actors talk?”
Grover Cleveland (1905): “Sensible and responsible woman do not want to vote.”
Robert Millikan (1923): “There is no likelihood man can ever tap the power of the atom.”
Lord Kelvin (1895): “Heavier than air flying machines are impossible.”
Tris Speaker (1927): “Babe Ruth made a big mistake when he gave up pitching.”
Michigan banker, advising Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the automobile: “The horse is here to stay, but the automobile is only a novelty.”
Gary Cooper: “’Gone with the Wind’ is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m just glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his face and not me.”