difficulties quotes

   I am inclined tothink that the fargreater part, if not all, of those difficulties which have hitherto amused philosophers, and blocked up the way to knowledge, are entirely owing to ourselvesthat we have first raised a dust and then complain we cannot see.

- George Berkeley
  A  Treatise Concerning the Principles of Human Knowledge, introduction.

Science is triumphant with far-ranging success, but its triumph is somehow clouded by growing difficulties in providing for the simple necessities of human life on earth.

- Barry Commoner
  Science and Survival.

If theTreasury were to fill old bottles with banknotes, bury themat suitable depthsindisusedcoalmineswhich are then filled up to the surface with town rubbish, and leave it to private enterprise on well-tried principles of laissez-faire to dig the notes up again†there need be no more unemployment and, with the help of the repercussions, thereal income of the community, and its capital wealth also, would probably becomea good deal greater than it actually is. It would, indeed, be more sensible to build houses and the like; but as there are political and practical difficulties in the way of this, the above would be better than nothing.

-John Maynard, 1st Baron Keynes (of Tilton)
  The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money.