Jan
29th
Tue
29th
When you come to think of it, almost all human behavior and activity is not essentially different from animal behavior. The most advanced technology and craftsmanship brings us at best to the super-chimpanzee level. Actually, the gap between, say, Plato or Nietzsche and the average human is greater than the gap between that chimpanzee and the average human. The realm of real spirit — the true artist, the saint, the philosopher — is rarely achieved. Why so few? … Hell, the Greeks 3,000 years ago were just as advanced as we are. So what are these barriers that keep people from reaching anywhere near their real potential? The answer to that can be found in another question, and that’s this: Which is the most universal human characteristic — fear, or laziness?
—
Louis H. Mackey, 1926-2004, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin
from the film “Waking Life” (2001), directed by Richard Linklater
