Quotations and Literature Forum

Hi,
Im looking for an explantion from author Robert Heinlein & the quotes is
"A human should be able to change a diaper.."..(& so on).
Is there anyone who could help me to explain this quotes...
Thanks[/b]

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects

He is probably referring to some of the many general talents a human being should be able to accomplish, to be able to be flexible in one's accomplishments.

Hi,
thanks for helping me.That means u want to say that a human being might be speacilised in for one task or allrounder.which one u think?its a assignment from our uni.& i tried to explain it. my teacher said i have to explain one side either speacial or allrounder. which one u think i should go or match with that quotation?
Thanks heaps
saif

Go with the all around type of person, the Renaissance man! The person who never stops learning.

Just a side-note about where this comes from. I grew up being a big-time fan of Heinlein, but I was always a bit perplexed about the source of this quotation and any possibly context.
It turns out that it's from one of his books that I never got around to reading, Time Enough for Love, and there are two "intermissions" in the book that are called the "Notebooks of Lazarus Long" that are just a bunch of aphorism type statements about a wide variety of things.
Check out:
http://www.angelfire.com/or/sociologysh ... tml#inter2

Oh, and I agree. It reminds me a bit of the old U.S. Army slogan "Be All That You Can Be...."

Hey guys,
thanks a lot for help me..will ask u guys lot of question later...thanks again..

saif