This quote reminded me of a quote from an anime called Kaiji, albeit your quote is much more succinct.
Normally, those people would never wake up from their fantasy worlds. They live meaningless lives. They waste their precious days over nothing. No matter how old they get, they’ll continue to say, “My real life hasn’t started yet. The real me is still asleep, so that’s why my life is such garbage.” They continue to tell themselves that. They continue. And they age. Then die. And on their deathbeds, they will finally realize: the life they lived was the real thing. People don’t live provisional lives, nor do they die provisional deaths. That’s a simple fact! The problem… is whether they realize that simple fact.
BUT keep Chesterton’s Fence in mind: if you don’t know why there is a wall on your way, don’t go blindly smashing it down. It might be there for a reason. First make absolutely sure you know why the wall exists in the first place; only then you may proceed with the smashing.
My time among the Earthlings has yielded a strange new insight. These creatures are so spiritually ignorant that they have never even heard of the most sacred text, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (wthdytia). They may not even have yet acquired the Power of the Spiral at all. This explains much about the existential terror in which most of them live their lives, and it will be a pleasure to show them the Right Way.
May this transmission reach the homeworld in good time,
Eli
-The Wise Man in Darkside, a radio play by Tom Stoppard
This quote reminded me of a quote from an anime called Kaiji, albeit your quote is much more succinct.
Yukio Tonegawa in Kaiji
More succinctly...
-- John Lennon, “Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)”
This is not a drill. Therefore, make sure you have drills for the really important bits.
And bits for the really important drills.
And make sure that the bit is properly secured and the chuck key is removed before operating the drill.
And when someone tries to be the wall the stands in your way, you’ll have something that will open a hole in them every time: your drill.
(In a related matter, if there’s a wall in your way, smash it down. If there isn’t a path, carve one yourself.)
BUT keep Chesterton’s Fence in mind: if you don’t know why there is a wall on your way, don’t go blindly smashing it down. It might be there for a reason. First make absolutely sure you know why the wall exists in the first place; only then you may proceed with the smashing.
--Kamina, in Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Just who the hell do you think we are!?
I like the sentiment, but you do realize that breaking walls has costs.
Dear Journal,
My time among the Earthlings has yielded a strange new insight. These creatures are so spiritually ignorant that they have never even heard of the most sacred text, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (wthdytia). They may not even have yet acquired the Power of the Spiral at all. This explains much about the existential terror in which most of them live their lives, and it will be a pleasure to show them the Right Way.
May this transmission reach the homeworld in good time, Eli
I. This Is Not A Game.
II. Here And Now, You Are Alive.
-- Om and many other gods, Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
Funny. I came up with almost the exact same line: