Serious and Competent

September 27, 2004

Truer words were never spoken - from Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver (p. 407):

"...It may seem hard for you to believe, but mark my word—whenever serious and competent people need to get things done in the real world, all considerations of tradition and protocol fly out the window."

It might be his character Jack Shaftoe speaking, but that sure is telegraphed directly to the reader...