Of Studies by Francis Bacon

We read this today in English.  After I figured out what it means, I really liked it.

OF STUDIES by Francis Bacon

      STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in privateness and retiring; for ornament, is in discourse; and for ability, is in the judgment, and disposition of business. For expert men can execute, and perhaps judge of particulars, one by one; but the general counsels, and the plots and marshalling of affairs, come best, from those that are learned. To spend too much time in studies is sloth; to use them too much for ornament, is affectation; to make judgment wholly by their rules, is the humor of a scholar. They perfect nature, and are perfected by experience: for natural abilities are like natural plants, that need proyning, by study; and studies themselves, do give forth directions too much at large, except they be bounded in by experience. Crafty men contemn studies, simple men admire them, and wise men use them; for they teach not their own use; but that is a wisdom without them, and above them, won by observation. Read not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested; that is, some books are to be read only in parts; others to be read, but not curiously; and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention. Some books also may be read by deputy, and extracts made of them by others; but that would be only in the less important arguments, and the meaner sort of books, else distilled books are like common distilled waters, flashy things. Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. And therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit: and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know, that he doth not. Histories make men wise; poets witty; the mathematics subtile; natural philosophy deep; moral grave; logic and rhetoric able to contend. Abeunt studia in mores. Nay, there is no stond or impediment in the wit, but may be wrought out by fit studies; like as diseases of the body, may have appropriate exercises. Bowling is good for the stone and reins; shooting for the lungs and breast; gentle walking for the stomach; riding for the head; and the like. So if a man’s wit be wandering, let him study the mathematics; for in demonstrations, if his wit be called away never so little, he must begin again. If his wit be not apt to distinguish or find differences, let him study the Schoolmen; for they are cymini sectores. If he be not apt to beat over matters, and to call up one thing to prove and illustrate another, let him study 197 the lawyers’ cases. So every defect of the mind, may have a special receipt.

Social Security and Immigration-The Lincoln Plan

       Here are some suggestions of mine (with some input from my dad especially with Immigration) on how to solve a couple of America's biggest problems:

Social Security

       This program created by one of our most progressive presidents, FDR, is likely to be the biggest wormhole for our economy.  What I think the U. S. should do to solve Social Security is this.  First, go to a plan, similar to the one proposed by George W. Bush, were Social Security starts being payed into your own personal government account.  This would last for about ten years and part of the social security would still go to the elderly so as not to completely cut them off immediately.  Second, all money taken out of Social Security would go to your own government account for you.  This would go on for another ten years. Third, less and less money would be taken out of income for Social Security and people would be encouraged (not required or forced) to put money into their own private retirement fund. This process would last for about five years.  Last of all, the whole Social Security program will be taken away and people will have to save for their own retirement.  In the end people might not save for retirement, but that is their choice, to work the rest of their lives.  Although it would take years, my idea would get rid of Social Security in a gradual way, rather than completely dropping it altogether.

Immigration

      My plan for immigration would be as follows.  First of all, make the process of obtaining citizenship easier.  Make the cost of citizenship minimal and give no excuse for illegals to say it's too hard to come legally.  On the other hand, tighten border security to maximum capacity. Allow law enforcement to use force to stop illegals from crossing the border.  It sounds almost inhuman, but after a few examples, illegals will be more willing to come legally.  Last of all, increase the penalty for hiring an illegal immigrant to a detrimental height, such as 20,000 per illegal immigrant.  Without a job what would illegals want to come to the U. S. illegally for?


      Well these are just some of my opinions on how to deal with immigration and Social Security.  And as always things sound so good on paper, but a lot of times never really work well.