
“I don't know what it is I'm doing. But it's not that. Despite all evidence to the contrary.”
Source: Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey
Source: 1960s, Julian (1964), Chapter 5, Libanius
“I don't know what it is I'm doing. But it's not that. Despite all evidence to the contrary.”
Source: Ascending Peculiarity: Edward Gorey on Edward Gorey
The Rickover Effect (1992)
Context: It is a human inclination to hope things will work out, despite evidence or doubt to the contrary. A successful manager must resist this temptation. This is particularly hard if one has invested much time and energy on a project and thus has come to feel possessive about it. Although it is not easy to admit what a person once thought correct now appears to be wrong, one must discipline himself to face the facts objectively and make the necessary changes — regardless of the consequences to himself. The man in charge must personally set the example in this respect. He must be able, in effect, to "kill his own child" if necessary and must require his subordinates to do likewise.
Source: The Other Side Of The Coin (2008), Chapter 7, Straight Versus Crooked, p. 228
Source: Before Galileo, The Birth of Modern Science in Medieval Europe (2012), p. 286