Muise... wrote: » Astronauts. All of them -even Laika. Because astronauts.
pickarooney wrote: » It's GANDHI, dammmit. At least get his name right if you're claiming he inspired you so much!
pickarooney wrote: » Did you mea to type Einstien but autocorrect thwarted you?
Muise... wrote: » I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle my impeccable spelling and grammar, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.
Tardful Slakerly wrote: » Any chance you read his lectures? I've thought about picking them up a few times. Bukowski was a very sad man crippled by alcoholism who really didn't seem to like women, works are fine to appreciate but I really don't know that the man could be called inspiring. Modest Mouse have a song on him: Woke up this morning and it seemed to me, that every night turns out to be A little more like Bukowski. And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read. But God who'd wanna be? God who'd wanna be such an asshole? God who'd wanna be? God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
BearBanjer wrote: » He's just one out those names. So hipster hears it and believes it carries certain social connotations. Next of all he's an inspiration. I cringe when people mention him in this regard. Same with Hunter S. Thompson. Another gimp. I'll punt for Arnie. The man has achieved some ridiculous feats. His life reads like a story book. I love George Bernard Shaw's words also.
steddyeddy wrote: » Who are the people who inspired you in life, career and outlook? Inspiration for my career is Richard Feynman, physicist and Hans Kreb, biochemist. Feyman won the Nobel prize for his work on quantum electrodynamics and Kreb discovered chemical cycles in biochemistry (urea, TCA/krebs cycle). Both these men were brilliant minds in their own right but also had very interesting views on society. Feynman always questioned whether people deserved honours and said people that unconditionally respect men in uniform because of status are wrong. Feynman came from a background devoid of traditional education and was simply a genius. Inspiration for outlook has to be Nelson Mandela, Ghandi and anyone who fights for universal rights.
brummytom wrote: » My uncle. He's in his mid-forties, very happily married with two young kids. Last February, he was told he had cancer (again), but that it had spread to his lymph nodes, lungs and elsewhere. He was told that, though they could administer chemo to prolong his life, they couldn't do anything more. He's never smoked, hasn't had any kind of alcohol problem, hasn't done drugs or anything like that, he's just had incredible bad luck. Despite all of that, he has the strongest determination to carry on I've ever seen. He's still working full time, and completely doing up his house in his spare time. He's constantly upbeat, though still realistic. I know if I was in the same situation, I'd fall to pieces. Seeing him step up and face a terrible situation head on is the most inspiring thing I've seen. It might not be on a par with great world leaders, or Civil Rights activists, but watching him has had more effect on changing my own outlook than any figurehead ever could.
Tardful Slakerly wrote: » I agree. Thompson was a caricature of himself. It's easy to romance drink and drug abuse from a distance but it's very ugly up close, with no exceptions. I'll throw in Bertrand Russell when it comes to great minds. I think Noam Chomsky's continued talks over many years make him an admirable commentator and campaigner, often facing harsh criticism, he never turns from the well researched facts and realities. George Orwell was a man both very human and very decent. Homage to Catalonia is a great slice of historical perspective for example. I could name plenty of authors and justifiably in some respects I believe, although it's an important distinction between a person being an inspiration and a body of work being so. It's even very common to see a quote attributed directly to an author when the quote is from a fictional character written by the same. It's a bit worrying in some cases that people can't see the disparity, (satire, subversion etc., along with just plain fictional construct).
