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Men That Don't Fit In (1911)

73 points by oidar

by oidar

1 subcomments

Copied from: THE SPELL OF THE YUKON AND OTHER VERSES by Robert Service
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/207/207-h/207-h.htm

by akkartik

1 subcomments

Show me a successful "steady, quiet, plodding" person from the outside, and I'll show you someone who "doesn't know how to rest" and continually makes "fresh mistakes" on the inside.

by mathgeek

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Service's life story is quite the read, and lovely context IMHO: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_W._Service

by CrimsonCape

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I'd be curious to know the average salary in 1911 versus cost to purchase a house in 1911. If you can plod along for 15 years and buy a house with cash (i don't think credit/mortgages existed in 1911?). Makes plodding seems like the right choice.

by jdelfuego

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Service called his work "verse, not poetry", I just learned. I consider myself singularly unendowed in the whole "understanding poetry" thing, and here is a poem that I can actually understand, and relate to its, and enjoy in its simple musicality. Thanks

by ilteris

1 subcomments

It sounds like he had ADHD. Some people (and I'm using that term to include all genders here) cannot handle discomfort, and my speculation is that this is caused by chemicals in the brain.

by dingaling911

5 subcomments

by a34729t

2 subcomments

Meh most people accomplish nothing. The trick is to be satisfied with whatever one's circunstances.

by afry1

1 subcomments

What a bunch of crap.
If you spend your life running to and fro and never commit to anything in the end, then arguably you've frittered your life away.
But maybe, just maybe, what you've really been doing this whole time is building up a wealth of diverse experiences, which in turn give you a broad understanding of the world and the ability to bring a unique and wonderful perspective to life. One that is completely your own, and special and important and infinitely valuable precisely because of the long period of exploration that you committed your early life to.
I recommend this book endlessly. Anybody who reads this stupid poem and gets a sinking feeling in their chest should pick up a copy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range:_Why_Generalists_Triumph...

by metalman

0 subcomment

by bluefirebrand

2 subcomments

Woof
This cuts me to the bone
Was this really written in 1911?
I guess things never really change, humans are still humans

0 subcomment