Hugh Mackay Quotes
A Scottish general best known for his service in the Revolution of 1688.
(c. 1640 - 1692)
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A strangely reflective, even melancholy day. Is that because, unlike our cousins in the northern hemisphere, Easter is not associated with the energy and vitality of spring but with the more subdued spirit of autumn?
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Actually, I can't imagine anything more tedious than a perfect person, especially if it was someone who also demanded perfection from me.
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Although we love the idea of choice - our culture almost worships it - we seek refuge in the familiar and the comfortable.
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But many researchers operate as if it is their responsibility to demonstrate that video violence has a direct effect on the behaviour of young children, because that will help to explain why society is becoming more violent.
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But the rule seems to be that the bigger and more life-changing the decision, the less it will seem like a decision at all.
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Despite the availability of cheap and effective contraception, it looks as if we are not as careful in our decisions about reproduction as all the talk of family planning might suggest.
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Even more worrying is the violence we do to our personal relationships when we let media consume time we might otherwise spend with each other.
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Far more people have enjoyed Jane Austen's work on television than will ever read her books.
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Frankly, I'm more worried about the violence we do to ourselves and our children by allowing the media to create an expectation of instant gratification.
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I suspect the secret of personal attraction is locked up in our unique imperfections, flaws and frailties.
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I wish we didn't have to own up to a policy deliberately designed to inflict suffering on people who have already been traumatised in the countries from which they've fled.
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I'm in total sympathy with Dick Smith's sentiments; I only wish there were grounds for saying we Australians would never tolerate such appalling treatment of refugees being carried out in our name.
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Indeed, in the present climate of mistrust of institutions, many people who yearn for a more meaningful and fulfilling life would regard the church as an unlikely place to go for guidance.
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Is it possible that literacy standards are falling because young Australians are growing up in a culture in which they can be entertained and informed, and in which they can communicate effectively, without having to master any but the most rudimentary literacy skills?
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It seems inevitable that the magic of the written word will fade.
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It's Australian to do such things because, however uncivilised they may seem, it's human to do them.
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No one welcomes chaos, but why crave stability and predictability?
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Nothing is perfect. Life is messy. Relationships are complex. Outcomes are uncertain. People are irrational.
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Obviously, every child should be given the best possible opportunity to acquire literacy skills.
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On average, Australians watch more than three hours of television a day, compared with 12 minutes a day spent by the average couple talking to each other.
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