True Apostrophe

I discovered how to type the true apostrophe—this guy (’): Press the option, shift, and ] keys together (Mac).

the midlife poem

The German poet Friedrich Hölderlin (1770-1843) halfway through his life wrote this:

Hälfte des Lebens

Mit gelben Birnen hänget

Und voll mit wilden Rosen

Das Land in den See,

Ihr holden Schwäne,

Und trunken von Küssen

Tunkt ihr das Haupt

Ins heilignüchterne Wasser.

Weh mir, wo nehm' ich, wenn

Es Winter ist, die Blumen, und wo

Den Sonnen schein,

Und Schatten der Erde?

Die Mauern stehn

Sprachlos und Kalt, im Winde

Klirren die Fahnen.

The poet has lived his youth in an idyllic summer; in contrast, a barren winter awaits in the second half.

It occurred to me : just a thought.

Positive psychology may alleviate depression; for existential despair, it may not work.

On Art or Something Like It

When you see a work of art, first you should ask, "What kind of thoughts or feelings are communicated through what kind medium? "

Consistency Is Stubbornness

This, too, is quickly becoming a cliché : rational decision-making processes may be irrational.

Question of the Day

Which is better, knowing how to locate a Rembrandt on a smartphone, or knowing why it is considered a masterpiece?

It would be nice to know both.

On the Romanticism

A Romantic man needs an ideal woman to worship: she is his raison d'être.

Charlotte is unattainable; that is why Werther suffers.

microblogging

Muddling through is the best we can do?

Because, in order to advance, we need a trial-and-error period.