Humans Cannot Fly

Socratic Mathematics

Humans cannot fly,
Unless they learn to grow wings —
Ten thousand years on.

This is the profoundest implication of the expression, “Patience is a virtue.” Can you wait, diligently preparing yourself, for one hundred centuries? If you cannot, you will wait longer.

“Wait for what?” you ask skeptically. 

You will never know unless you begin preparing yourself for it.

Is Socrates just teasing us or mocking us?

There is only one way to find out. Actually, there are two ways. If you choose the hard way, then whatever you finally discover, you will be ready for it. If you choose the easy way, you may win the gamble and be spared a lot of pain on this end of the string — or you may lose.

Here are some pictures to help you decide.