#on

Whether one believes or not, religion is as real a force in the life of the world as economics or politics, and it demands fair-minded attention. Even if you think the entire religious enterprise is at best misguided and at worst counterproductive, it remains vital, inspiring great good and, sometimes, great evil. ↗

— Jon Meacham

#believes #best #counterproductive #demands #economics

While we remain a nation decisively shaped by religious faith, our politics and our culture are, in the main, less influenced by movements and arguments of an explicitly Christian character than they were even five years ago. I think this is a good thing - good for our political culture. ↗

— Jon Meacham

#ago #character #christian #culture #decisively

Prayer does not use up artificial energy, doesn't burn up any fossil fuel, doesn't pollute. Neither does song, neither does love, neither does the dance. ↗

— Margaret Mead

#artificial #burn #dance #does #energy

Whoever rises to deliver the inaugural Address of 2013 will speak to a nation in which the American Dream is under profound economic and cultural pressure. This is perhaps best measured by the state of the middle class. ↗

— Jon Meacham

#american #american dream #best #class #cultural

With the perspective afforded by the passage of time, where does 9/11 rank as a turning point in our national history? For the victims and their families, innocents going about their lives, suddenly and brutally murdered, no other day can ever matter as much. ↗

— Jon Meacham

#afforded #brutally #day #does #ever

Our cautious ancestors, when yawning, blocked the way to the entrance of evil spirits by putting their hands before their mouths. We find a reason for the gesture in the delicacy of manner which forbids an indecent exposure. ↗

— George H. Mead

#before #blocked #cautious #delicacy #entrance

To be interested in the public good we must be disinterested, that is, not interested in goods in which our personal selves are wrapped up. ↗

— George H. Mead

#good #goods #interested #must #not interested

A multiple personality is in a certain sense normal. ↗

— George H. Mead

#multiple #normal #personality #sense

Warfare is an utterly stupid method of settling differences of interest between different nations. ↗

— George H. Mead

#differences #different #interest #method #nations

What gives it its human character is that the individual through language addresses himself in the role of the others in the group and thus becomes aware of them in his own conduct. ↗

— George H. Mead

#becomes #character #conduct #gives #group