Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A human being should be able to ...

... change a diaper,
plan an invasion,
butcher a hog,
conn a ship,
design a building,
write a sonnet,
build a wall,
set a bone,
comfort the dying,
take orders,
give orders,
cooperate,
act alone,
pitch manure,
solve equations,
analyze a new problem,
program a computer,
cook a tasty meal,
fight efficiently,
and die gallantly.
Specialization is for insects.


-- Robert A Heinlein (1907 – 1988)

(H/T to "Alan" in Vancouver, Washington.)

2 comments:

Blackhat SEO said...

Ya gotta appreciate the mystery... and the meaning!

Sir Galen of Bristol said...

One of my favorite Heinlein quotes; I used to have it on a business card:

"Diapers changed, invasions planned, hogs butchered, ships conned, buildings designed, sonnets written walls built, bones set, dying comforted. Will take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, pitch manure, solve equations, analyze new problems, program computers, fight efficiently, die gallantly." This was footnoted with the "specialization is for insects" line.