CS Lewis Compares Wisdom & Virtue Vs Magic & Technology

"There is something which unites magic and applied science [=technology] while separating both from the “wisdom” of earlier ages.

For the wise men of old the cardinal problem had been how to conform the soul to reality, and the solution had been knowledge, self-discipline, and virtue.

For magic and applied science alike the problem is how to subdue reality to the wishes of men; the solution is a technique."

C. S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (reprint: New York: HarperOne, 2001), p. 77 via Justin Taylor

The Importance of Risk in Doing Anything Worthwhile

"He who makes no mistakes never makes anything."
English Proverb

Or as Chesterton once said: ¨Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly (first).¨

Far too often our society rewards hyper-safety and punishes healthy risk.  I'd much rather try to succeed in something worthwhile and make some mistakes than never try anything in order to avoid making mistakes.  Seems Biblical (Matthew 25).