Thursday Text: John Ruskin

We spent the day in Chicago last Friday, and it was a lot of fun. One of the things that we did was peek in the lobby of the WGN Building. On the floor of the lobby, there is a beautifully lettered quote by John Ruskin that we really liked.

When we build let us think we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone. Let it be such work that our descendants will thank us for, and let us think, as we lay stone upon stone, that a time is to come when these stones will be held sacred because our hands have touched them, and that men will say, as they look upon the labor and wrought substance of them, "See! This our fathers did for us."

Thursday Text: John Ruskin

Today is the day. After five years of hard work here at the University of Missouri, Tony is going to defend his doctoral dissertation. I am so proud of him. He is in philosophy, and his dissertation deals with issues surrounding specialization and the division of labor - are people born with abilities to fill specific roles in society? is it better to focus on one thing and become really good at it? or would it be better to have the ability to do many things? and so on...

I know that Tony used John Ruskin in his dissertation, but I'm not sure exactly what he used (because I haven't read all 180 pages of it yet!). Here are three quotes attributed to Ruskin that are probably applicable and may have been included by Tony.

In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it.

When love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece.

The highest reward for man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.


Good luck, Tony! I'm proud of you!