Keep on the lookout for novel ideas that others have used successfully. Your idea has to be original only in its adaptation to the problem you're working on.
Thomas A. EdisonRead
Nature is what we know. We do not know the gods of religions. And nature is not kind, or merciful, or loving. If God made me - the fabled God of the three qualities of which I spoke: mercy, kindness, love - He also made the fish I catch and eat. And where do His mercy, kindness, and love for that fish come in? No; nature made us - nature did it all - not the gods of the religions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that nature is the fundamental reality we understand, contrasting it with the qualities ascribed to deities in various religions.
Edison argues that the essence of existence and the laws of nature govern our lives, rather than any divine benevolence attributed to religious gods. He illustrates the often harsh realities of nature and questions the concepts of mercy, kindness, and love when applied to both humans and the natural world, suggesting that nature itself, rather than a religious deity, is responsible for existence and life.
Themes
NatureExistenceRealityPhilosophyReligion
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophy class discussing the nature of existence.
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