the replaceable-irreplaceable distinction

Why is how you feel about a painting's quality 

affected by its being a fake?

Can a Robot be Human? by Peter Cave

spinoza

he who lives under the guidance of reason endeavours as much as possible to repay his fellow’s hatred, rage, contempt, etc. with love and nobleness.

all emotions of hatred are bad; and therefore he who lives according to the precepts of reason will endeavour as much as possible to bring it to pass that he is not assailed by emotions of hatred, and consequently he will endeavour to prevent any one else from suffering those emotions. but hatred is increased by reciprocated hatred, and, on the contrary, can be demolished by love in such a way that hatred is transformed into love. therefore he who lives under the guidance of reason will endeavour to repay another’s hatred, etc. with love, that is nobleness.

 he who wishes to revenge injuries by reciprocal hatred will live in misery. but he who endeavours to drive away hatred by means of love, fights with pleasure and confidence: he resists equally one or many men, and scarcely needs at all the help of fortune. (Spinoza, Ethics, p174)

http://www.spaceandmotion.com/Philosophy-Spinoza-Philosopher.htm

abstain, avoid, cease, check, curb, desist, eschew, forbear, forgo, give up, halt, leave off, quit, refrain, renounce, resist, restrain, stop DISAGREEING or CORRECTING or ARGUING

i denied myself the pleasure of contradicting him abruptly and of showing immediately some absurdity in his proposition; and in answering i began by observing that in certain cases or circumstances his opinion would be right, but that in the present case there "appeared" or "seemed to me" some difference, etc. the conversation i engaged in went on more pleasantly; the modest way in which I proposed my opinions procured them a readier reception and less contradiction; i had less mortification when i was found to be in the wrong, and i more easily prevailed with others to give up their mistakes and join with me when i happened to be in the right.

the above quote attributed to benjamin franklin in the civility solution, and it is my goal for this year to live by the spirit of that quote.
other goals along those lines for the year include:
--keep a positive attitude
--respect others and grant them plenty of validation
--disagree graciously and refrain from arguing
--ask, don't tell

and i learn this morning that the civility solution falls under the umbrella of "courtesy literature" that has quite a long history with origins designed to educate the whole person not just give a veneer of politeness. there is a huge difference between gentle and sincere courtesy and paying lip service to rituals like please and thank you....this year i plan to evolve more to the old fashioned notions of manners.

this sentence is false

in a village there lives a barber who shaves all and only the people who do not shave themselves.

so, who shaves the barber?

if he shaves himself, he does not; if he does not shave himself, he does.

["the point of philosophy is to start with something so simple as not to seem worth stating, and to end with something so paradoxical that no one will believe it," bertrand russell, 1918.]

Wisdom

....attributable to Snoopy (quoted in One Thousand Hounds (Taschen, year unknown)) -

"Yesterday I was a dog.
Today I am a dog.
Tomorrow, I will probably be a dog.
There's just so little hope of advancement."

Talent helps ... a lot

Hans Holbein, a German, painted at least half - Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Anne of Cleves - of Henry VIII's six wives.  Thomas Cromwell was Holbein's patron during his time in England.  Holbein was clever - and talented - enough to avoid disfavor when Cromwell and other reformers fell from Henry's grace.

And, Hampton Court was originally Cardinal Wolsey's palace.