"They were an ill-assorted pair, not enemies - you don't sign on a person who'll allow himself hatred - but unfriends." (p. 6)
This is the "psychotechnics" that is central to Poul Anderson's first future history series and mentioned in different forms in others. See Sociotechnics And Psychopolitics and Psychotechnocracy.
In Planet Of No Return, malign "psychocrats" deliberately sabotage an interstellar expedition by giving it an ill-assorted crew! Understanding of psychology is essential - "Know thyself." To misuse it in this way would be abominable.
If I have exhausted "Wings of Victory" by now, then the next stop is the second Ythrian story/third Technic History story, "The Problem of Pain," maybe some time tomorrow.
5 comments:
"GnÅthi seauton" is actually more accurately translated as "know your place" or "don't presume above your station".
Wow! That changes the meaning!
Kaor, Paul!
Almost my first was that this saying came from one of Plato's Socratic dialogues. But, no, when I looked up your link, "Know thyself" had multiple attributions.
Ad astra! Sean
It was one of the Delphic Maxims, sayings sourced from Apollo's shrine there.
It was intended to be advice to avoid hubris -- to avoid challenging the Gods; the Greeks had a complex relationship to vaunting transcendent ambition -- they feared it, but also admired it, and some Greek culture-heroes did get into Olympus.
Prometheus is one of those cautionary figures, both noble and doomed.
I think it was Simonides of Keos who said: "After Hubris, Nemesis... but it is Madness that lets her in."
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And Hercules was one of those culture heroes who ascended to Olympus.
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment