Great quotes

It's interesting that this blog has sampled the population the way my research has: some people hate me, some people don't.

I don't know why I provoke such strong reactions from some people.

Why do some people get SO upset, and want to post their anger here for everyone to read? They have nothing better to do? If they don't, they might explode?

Please, people. Don't spontaneously combust just from something I said! I couldn't live with that on my conscience.

Some people seem to get it. If you're truly objective, you've reached that Zen state where you can discuss ideas, even ones that you might disagree with, as ideas, not as reflections of the person who proposed them.

I can't take it personally when people freak out and post here, but I am a little tired of reading all the negative, mis-spelled, non-constructive comments. It really is embarrassing how stupid some of them are, but I guess they feel the same way about me. I'm a bad representation of a scientist, is that it?

Here's another reason I started this blog: because scientists are people too. But nobody seems to know that.

At this point so many of the comments here are crap that I don't know where to draw the line on deleting them. Seems silly to just delete everything negative, but on the other hand, does leaving it all up there just encourage these people to come back and do it again?

In the past I've gotten so many helpful, informative comments that I've never wanted to turn off the commenting feature despite all the negative crap. Posting into the void is a lot less interesting.

But I'm picturing these people in their little cubicles or wherever they are, snickering to themselves as they write these petty little Anonymous comments and rubbing their hands together in a perfect imitation of an evil cartoon character.

It's actually really funny to imagine!

I mean, do you really think you're going to a) convince me to quit blogging or b) convince me to quit science?

For anyone else out there who has experienced these kinds of attacks, some quotes for us:

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
--Schopenhauer

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.
--Gandhi

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.
--Gandhi

First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.
--Gandhi

I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.
--John Cage