or Powell's or me• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show
•
"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket
•
"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming
August 19, 2006
Never, Never Right
The 20 year-old son of Israeli writer David Grossman was killed in Lebanon just two days before the ceasefire. I'd never read his famous 1987 book The Yellow Wind about the occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. So I got it out of the library today. At one point Grossman writes:
I pondered then about how much one must be suspicious of people who testify about themselves morning and night that they are merciful.
Clearly he stole this from something I said 17 years later:
...when people get righteously worked up about how wonderful they are, and their enemy's lack of gratitude, you really need to keep an eye on them.
SEE ALSO: Jim Henley --
People who say their problem is that they are too nice are never, never right.Posted at August 19, 2006 01:13 PM | TrackBack
I am a rotten scoundrel, y'know.
Posted by: abb1 at August 19, 2006 01:32 PMI would put that list of things that if you have to say them, then you know their not true!
"I'm a humble person."
Yeah....right!
Posted by: Rafael at August 19, 2006 01:38 PMI belong to the greatest nation.
We are the most charitable.
We are not aggressive.
Freedom Loving, Peace loving nation
Infinite Justice
War of Peace
etc..
“people who testify about themselves morning and night that they are merciful.â€ÂÂ
Really? Where exactly do they testify that they are merciful? I am sure it is that they testify their God is merciful, which is a totally different thing. But, hey, why do you need facts when you can make things up; most people wouldn’t check it out anyway. I mean if they did, Fox News would have to start telling the truth.
"The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
We all have our faults. I myself am too modest, for example.
Posted by: mistah charley at August 19, 2006 06:36 PMHenry Clay: I would rather be right than be president.
Congressman Reed: He doesn't have to worry. He'll never be either.
Ah, we could play this game all day. I for one am an excellent driver. Not as serious as Lebanon, but this reminds me of all the examples of whining "nice guys" that you read about at Pandagon.
Posted by: Theron at August 20, 2006 07:51 AM"For you can have no greater sign of a more confirmed pride than when you think that you are humble enough. He that thinks he loves God enough shows himself to be an entire stranger to that holy passion, so he that thinks he has humility enough shows that he is not so much as a beginner in the practice of true humility."
William Law, "A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life" 1728
FYI, FWIW
Thanks for that quote from Law, Rob Gorton, I had never heard of the man before and will have to check it out.
There is a verse in Gaudiya Vaishnavism asking us to be "humbler than a blade of grass and more tolerant than a tree." It is a very hard command to even try to follow.
Posted by: Saheli at August 21, 2006 02:22 AMWhat's a library?
Posted by: wkmaier at August 21, 2006 07:09 AMI am a born-again Christian and I do not feel morally superior, so much so that I want to recruit...I mean, convert... the entire world to my preferred religious idiotology...I mean, ideology.
Oh, yeah! And Canada Sucks!
There will be no more intifadas in America. Rather a grovelling hovel in BC than a torture chamber in DG, I always say!
Posted by: JLaR at August 21, 2006 07:25 AM
