Quote of the Day (William James, on What ‘Makes You Feel Most Deeply and Vitally Alive’)

“Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it.”—American philosopher and psychologist William James (1842-1910), The Principles of Psychology (1890)

Joke of the Day (Victoria Shulevich, on a Benefit of Pilates)

“No matter what life throws at you, always keep one foot on the ground like a pink flamingo and your head buried in the sand like an ostrich. This may sound impossible, but you can do it if you practice Pilates.”— Humorist and essayist Victoria Shulevich, “Shouts and Murmurs: Life Advice with Animal Analogies,” The New Yorker, Nov. 11, 2024

This accompanying image of a Pilates training session was taken Aug. 20, 2024, by ikorpilates. 

I must admit that my first thought upon seeing this was that it was some kind of human physiology class. My second thought was that the individual who’s the focus of attention would be me after one Pilates maneuver too many.

Spiritual Quote of the Day (St. Paul to the Romans, on ‘No Distinction Between Jew and Greek’)

“Brothers and sisters:
What does Scripture say?
            The word is near you,
                        in your mouth and in your heart
—that is, the word of faith that we preach—,
for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved.
For one believes with the heart and so is justified,
and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
For the Scripture says,
            No one who believes in him will be put to shame.
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek;
the same Lord is Lord of all,
enriching all who call upon him.
For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”—Letter of St. Paul (c. 4-67 AD), to the Romans 10: 8-13
 
Likewise, there is no distinction between anyone else, along any lines, who “calls on the name of God.”
 
The image of St. Paul accompanying this post was created by the Spanish Renaissance painter El Greco (1541-1614).

Quote of the Day (Shayla Love, on Elon Musk’s Ketamine Use)

“Ketamine is called a dissociative drug because during a high, which lasts about an hour, people might feel detached from their body, their emotions, or the passage of time. Frequent, heavy recreational use—say, several times a week—has been linked to cognitive effects that last beyond the high, including impaired memory, delusional thinking, superstitious beliefs, and a sense of specialness and importance. You can see why people might wonder about ketamine use from a man who is trying to usher in multi-planetary human life, who has barged into global politics and is attempting to reengineer the U.S. government. With [Elon] Musk’s new political power, his cognitive and psychological health is of concern not only to shareholders of his companies’ stocks but to all Americans. His late-night posts on X, mass emails to federal employees, and non sequiturs uttered on television have prompted even more questions about his drug use.”— Shayla Love, “What Ketamine Does to the Human Brain,” The Atlantic, Mar. 5, 2025

Okay, let’s see if Musk allows this post on X!

(The image accompanying this post, showing Elon Musk at the 2015 Tesla Motors Annual Meeting, was taken June 9, 2015 by Steve Jurvetson.)

TV Quote of the Day (‘Frasier,’ As the Radio Shrink Finally Loses It)

Dr. Frasier Crane [played by Kelsey Grammer] [delirious and drugged-up, returning to the station]: “Hello, Seattle, I'm back! This is Dr. Frasier Crane. I promise I will never leave you again. So, let's take our first caller. Hello, I'm listening.”

Robert [voice of Tommy Hilfiger]: “Hi, Dr. Crane. Thanks for taking my call. I'm a little nervous, okay? My name is Robert.”

Frasier: “And your name is...?”

Robert: “My name is Robert.”

Frasier: “Oh, I'm sorry. We've already had a Robert on the show today. Goodbye!” [disconnects him]

Roz Doyle [played by Peri Gilpin] [on the office phone]: “Tony, it's Roz. Could you get security up here? Captain Kirk's got control of the bridge and he's gone insane.” —Frasier, Season 1, Episode 23, “Frasier Crane's Day Off,” original air date May 12, 1994, teleplay by Chuck Ranberg and Anne Flett-Giordano, directed by James Burrows

Quote of the Day (Joseph Addison, on Beauty)

“There is nothing that makes its way more directly to the Soul than Beauty, which immediately diffuses a secret satisfaction and complacency through the imagination, and gives a finishing to any thing that is Great or Uncommon.” —English essayist and playwright Joseph Addison (1672-1719), Spectator 412, June 23, 1712

Quote of the Day (Ken Burns, on Leadership)

“Leadership is humility and generosity squared.”—American documentarian Ken Burns, “Keynote Address to Brandeis University's 2024 Graduates,” May 20, 2024