Mastodawn

To give the public what they do not want, and yet expect to be supported: we have there a strange pretension, and yet not uncommon, above all with painters. The first duty in this world is for a man to pay his way; when that is quite accomplished, he may plunge into what eccentricity he likes; but emphatically not till then.

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Scottish essayist, novelist, poet
Essay (1888-09), “A Letter to a Young Gentleman Who Proposes to Embrace the Career of Art,” Scribner’s Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 3

More about this quote: wist.info/stevenson-robert-lou…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #robertlouisstevenson #art #artistry #commercialism #creativity #earnings #income #makingaliving #makingmoney #practicality #pragmatism #publicopinion #responsibility #writing

Stevenson, Robert Louis - Essay (1888-09), "A Letter to a Young Gentleman Who Proposes to Embrace the Career of Art," Scribner's Magazine, Vol. 4, No. 3 | WIST Quotations

WIST Quotations

br00t4c Mar 5

Discussing Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's reaction to U.S. actions in Iran, the discontent from a Liberal MP, and how another world leader has stood up. #Carmey #Iran #Banksters #Pragmatism #Amoral #cdnpoli youtube.com/watch?v=v-xt...

Carney's First Post-Davos Test...

Carney's First Post-Davos Test Ends In Incoherence As Another World Leader Takes Charge

YouTube

WIST Quotations Feb 20

A quotation from C. C. Colton

He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men will know how things are.

Charles Caleb "C. C." Colton (1780-1832) English cleric, writer, aphorist
Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, Preface (1820)

More about this quote: wist.info/colton-charles-caleb…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #cccolton #books #humanism #humanities #idealism #ideals #pragmatism #realism #realworld #humannature #humancondition

Colton, Charles Caleb - Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words, Vol. 1, Preface (1820) | WIST Quotations

He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men will know how things are.

WIST Quotations

Jan D Feb 25

“Yet the life which men, women and children actually lead, the opportunities open to them, the values they are capable of enjoying, their education, their share in all the things of art and science, are mainly determined by economic conditions. Hence we can hardly expect a moral system which ignores economic conditions to be other than remote and empty.”

John Dewey, The Quest for Certainty, p225

#Johndewey #pragmatism #economy #ethics

Jan D Feb 17

»Persons do not become a society by living in physical proximity, any more than a man ceases to be socially influenced by being so many feet or miles removed from others. A book or a letter may institute a more intimate association between human beings separated thousands of miles from each other than exists between dwellers under the same roof«

John Dewey, Democracy and Education

#pragmatism #JohnDewey #community

Jan D Feb 15

“A whole train of passengers (individually brave enough) will be looted by a few highwaymen, simply because the latter can count on one another, while each passenger fears that if he makes a movement of resistance, he will be shot before any one else backs him up. If we believed that the whole car-full would rise at once with us, we should each severally rise, and train-robbing would never even be attempted.” – William James

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Will_to_Believe

#pragmatism #philosophy #religion

The Will to Believe - Wikipedia

Joseph Lim

Feb 5

Efficiency over pomp
👍"By embracing a #frugal approach, #Chadchart underscores a crucial shift in bureaucratic #priorities: #efficiency must outweigh pageantry. He's clearly shown tt #public benefit shld always come before "face".. Te unprecedented nod to #pragmatism emphasises te shift twds "agile governance".. it demonstrates a profound respect for both time & #taxpayer money.. the #Thai public now values results over rituals, & #transparency over traditional hierarchy"
https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/3189754/efficiency-over-pomp

Philosophics Jan 29

To tell the truth, I just posted an essay on the truth. Many philosophers have written about Truth over the years, but truth is just a tool, a trivial bookkeeping device.
https://philosophics.blog/2026/01/29/truth-after-deflation-why-truth-refuses-to-behave/?utm_source=masto&utm_medium=social
#philosophy #truth #essay #blog #podcast #analyticphilosophy #philosophyoflanguage #epistemology #metaphysics #tools #pragmatism #languageinsufficiency #disintegration #philosophics

Richard R Lee Jan 28

#Leaders Lead and #Cowards hide behind #Pragmatism. The #UK remains rudderless during the storm. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/28/andy-burnham-china-visit-keir-starmer?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

From the Burnham row to the China visit, avoiding hard choices is the Starmer doctrine

Whether at home or abroad, the pattern of ducking difficult arguments and calling it pragmatism is the same, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr

The Guardian

Don Curren 🇨🇦🇺🇦Jan 27

“Carney plays well-used cards when he posits a balance between “values and #interests,” or #principles and #pragmatism. In reality, #values and interests often conflict.” canadiandimension.com/articles/vie... #MarkCarney #Canada #CanadaSky

Empire, ecology, and Canada’s ...

Empire, ecology, and Canada’s foreign policy ‘reset’

We may hold out hope for this government to take new directions, but we cannot rely on hope—and certainly not on faith that does not stem from a sober reading of the historical record. We must be relentless in demanding from our politicians that they implement reforms that will bring us closer to a just and ecologically sustainable world.