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Thursday, April 8, 2010

Genius

Hubris and arrogance can often masquerade as genius and insight. Real genius is rare; real insight is rarer still.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

A bird in the hand is worth more than six promises from a provost.

Anonymous said...

It's an ill wind that blows administrators good

Anonymous said...

A stitch in time requires nine levels of UT bureaucratic approval

Bloggie said...

Pride goeth before a College of Perpetual Energy?

Anonymous said...

A columnist (David Brooks) in today's New York Times , drawing on Jim Collin's books on leadership , offers the following for the guidance of execs: "She tries not to fall for the seductions that Collins says mar failing organizations: the belief that one magic move will change everything; the faith in permanent restructuring, the tendency to replace questions with statements at meetings. " Maybe the Provost should do some remedial reading ?

Anonymous said...

"Behind every success story is a great crime." -- Balzac

Anonymous said...

You're saying Jacobs is a success story? Off narrative! Off narrative! Delete it!

Anonymous said...

The lament of a university President to his faculty:


“Although I am a giant of the exhibition size,
I have been nicely educated, and I notice with surprise
That the simplest rules of etiquette you don’t pretend to keep
For you scurry off to races while a gentleman’s sleep.


Don’t reply that I was drowsy, for my nap was but a kind
Of dramatic illusion of a peaceful frame of mind;
And you might have waited till I woke again, instead
Of indelicately pounding, with a stone, on my head.


Very likely you’ll agree that our views don’t agree, -
I’ve often found that little boys have disagreed with me, -
But I’m properly entitled, on the compensation plan,
To three times as much politeness as an ordinary man.





My remarks have been directed at the one who, I supposed,
Had been violently thumping on my person while I dozed;
By a simple calculation, you will find that there is due
Just six times as much politeness from a little chap like you.”

From “Davy and the Goblin,” by Charles E. Carryl, publ. by Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1884

Anonymous said...

"But six times in compensation for politely telling me

That I’m derelict in duty to my university?

The BOT gave me this permit to doze, profiteer, and loot.

You, small chap, will get a furlough. Moi? Le golden parachute!"