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That is a totally fair question, and I have to admit I did not - nuanced stories don’t fit in an online comment! The Great Recession hit and Obama’s climate pu

by orzig 4y ago

That is a totally fair question, and I have to admit I did not - nuanced stories don’t fit in an online comment! The Great Recession hit and Obama’s climate push failed[0], so I went into healthcare (as another thing that needed fixing, and which there was political will to do something about). The lessons of all of those twists are more complex, but I still firmly believe that I got the right advice given what everybody knew at the time. [0] https://www.politico.com/story/2012/11/obama-says-climate-change-to-take-backseat-to-economy-083865 https://www.politico.com/story/2012/11/obama-says-climate-ch...

pmoriarty 4y ago
This reminds me of a tale told by Lawrence Block: There's an old story about a young man who cornered a world-famous violinist and begged to be allowed to play for him. If the master offered him encouragement, he would devote his life to music. But if his talent was not equal to his calling, he wanted to know ahead of time so he could avoid wasting his life. He played, and the great violinist shook his head. "You lack the fire," he said. Decades later the two met again, and the would-be violinist, now a prosperous businessman, recalled their previous meeting. "You changed my entire life," he explained. "It was a bitter disappointment, giving up music, but I forced myself to accept your judgement. Thus, instead of becoming a fourth-rate musician, I've had a good life in the world of commerce. But tell me, how could you tell so readily that I lacked the fire?" "Oh, I hardly listened when you played," the old master said. "That's what I tell everyone who plays for me -- that they lack the fire." "But that's unforgivable!" the businessman cried. "How could you do that? You altered the entire course of my life. Perhaps I could have been another Kreisler, another Heifetz--" The old man shook his head again. "You don't understand," he said. "If you had had the fire, you would have paid no attention to me."
- legends2k 4y ago
  Wow, profound and very true!
- rhapsodic 4y ago

by orzig 4y ago

pmoriarty 4y ago

This reminds me of a tale told by Lawrence Block: There's an old story about a young man who cornered a world-famous violinist and begged to be allowed to play for him. If the master offered him encouragement, he would devote his life to music. But if his talent was not equal to his calling, he wanted to know ahead of time so he could avoid wasting his life. He played, and the great violinist shook his head. "You lack the fire," he said. Decades later the two met again, and the would-be violinist, now a prosperous businessman, recalled their previous meeting. "You changed my entire life," he explained. "It was a bitter disappointment, giving up music, but I forced myself to accept your judgement. Thus, instead of becoming a fourth-rate musician, I've had a good life in the world of commerce. But tell me, how could you tell so readily that I lacked the fire?" "Oh, I hardly listened when you played," the old master said. "That's what I tell everyone who plays for me -- that they lack the fire." "But that's unforgivable!" the businessman cried. "How could you do that? You altered the entire course of my life. Perhaps I could have been another Kreisler, another Heifetz--" The old man shook his head again. "You don't understand," he said. "If you had had the fire, you would have paid no attention to me."

legends2k 4y ago
Wow, profound and very true!
rhapsodic 4y ago