Wisdom of the Masters, Part 1

Robert A. Heinlein may be a new name to you, or you may have read everything he's ever written. He's that kind of author. Though he wrote mainly in the genre of science fiction, winner of many Hugo Awards, and the inspiration to almost everyone in the early days of NASA, his knowledge and insight on subjects far and wide continues today to be as pertinent as when first written. In fact, a number of modern science fiction writers now insist that the characters in THEIR books read Heinlein.

So from time to time, I'll be posting here some of his Wisdom.
    I think it fitting to start this first post of Robert Heinlein's Wisdom by quoting from his very first short story, Life-Line, at a time when he had no idea he would become such a prolific writer. This is a retort from a judge to a defense attorney regarding an insurance company against an inventor being sued to be put out of business because he can determine the time of one's death.

    "I wish to comment on the theory implied by you when you claimed damage to your client. There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary to public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute or common law. Neither individuals or corporations have any right to come into court and asked that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back."

    This was written in 1939.

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