[Clouseau2]

I'm sure most people are familiar with this quote from Schopenhauer, but I think it's a good one to put on the main page of peakoil.com since it really captures the struggle to try to convince people of the reality of PO:

"All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
Third, it is accepted as being self-evident."

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860)

[linlithgowoil]

i want to know why so many peak oil sites etc. feel the need to use lots of quotes. what for? additionally, for all i know, many of the people making such quotes were total assholes.

[UIUCstudent01]

Many quoters like the idea of individuals making history. And, they would like to put some authority on their claims by saying that: remember, many people thought these guys were normal until everyone came to a consensus that they were pretty awesome. "Look at how they think, I think like that - so believe me." is the kind of thing quotes do. Lends authority. Kinda fake authority, but you know, whatever. It's fun to play around with the wisdom of the old (maybe that's why religion is so big, eh?).

[gego]

"Bend over and grab your ankles, cause when you are dealing with government you might as well get your [deleted} over and avoid the agonizing wait".

Quite from my brother-in-law who worked as a county health inspector for 15 years until he was fired for never having made 90% of his health inspections of restaurants and dairies, while he fished and hunted and faked his reports. When he was found out, they offered to let him come back to work with a 30 day suspension, but he was too embarased to accept.

[Clouseau2]

I didn't think I would get flamed for this post.

Certain quotations have been ingrained in the collective psyche and have connotations that are known quantities. "Give me Liberty or give me death", "We do these things not because they are easy but because they are hard", etc., People already understand the underlying meanings when they see the same quote again, which can aid in an argument or presentation of information.

I thought the Schopenhauer one was apt since he often felt (whether right or wrong) that his discovery of truth was not accepted, ridiculed and opposed until it could no longer be denied. Sound familiar?

[PenultimateManStanding]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Clouseau2', 'I') didn't think I would get flamed for this post.

I thought the Schopenhauer one was apt

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('UIUCstudent01', 'M')any quoters like the idea of individuals making history. And, they would like to put some authority on their claims by saying that: remember, many people thought these guys were normal until everyone came to a consensus that they were pretty awesome. "Look at how they think, I think like that - so believe me." is the kind of thing quotes do. Lends authority. Kinda fake authority, but you know, whatever. It's fun to play around with the wisdom of the old (maybe that's why religion is so big, eh?).