[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fNWBnd5ol68ueOD-bHsBVJTTxzQviH0sZqe2DQ2hyaNU":3,"$f8dQqNtHlBk95lE4U6mkPn0oauvuPjPOT_LRn8khyoEQ":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},9618,"A. Lee Martinez","A",50,null,"a-lee-martinez",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":77},[14,22,28,34,40,47,53,59,65,71],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},2819600,"The middle was where it was too easy to be lazy and cynical at the same time.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":25,"source":26,"quote_tag":27,"commentary":9},2819599,"A sixth sense warned her that she was striking a Faustian bargain. Odd, since she wasn’t sure what a Faustian bargain was. But it was something not to be taken lightly. She knew that.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":29,"quote_text":30,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":31,"source":32,"quote_tag":33,"commentary":9},2819597,"We have to destroy the radioactive brain of Madame Curie.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":35,"quote_text":36,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":37,"source":38,"quote_tag":39,"commentary":9},2819595,"I emitted an ultrasonic signal. The beast climbed off her and scampered to my side. “Good girl, Snarg.” I patted her between the antennae, and she squeaked. Zala stood. “By the hidden moon, what is that?” “My pet ultrapede.” “I wouldn’t expect you to have a pet.” “Snarg was a gift of the ambassador of the Undersphere. She’s the fiercest ultrapede ever bred for the royal family. How could I turn down a gift like that?",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":41,"quote_text":42,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":43,"source":44,"quote_tag":45,"commentary":46},2819593,"I stand corrected. Yours is a far superior arbitrary system of governance.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nA. Lee Martinez, an American author of fantasy and horror novels, likely penned this quote in one of his humorous and satirical works. Although I couldn't pinpoint the exact origin, Martinez's writing often pokes fun at societal norms and conventions, suggesting that this quote might have been a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the nature of governance. The era of Martinez's life relevant to this sentiment is marked by his exploration of absurdism and postmodernism in literature.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nOn the surface, this quote appears to be a lighthearted acknowledgement of the superiority of an arbitrary system. However, it reveals a deeper philosophical nuance: the recognition that all systems of governance, no matter how well-intentioned, are inherently arbitrary and subject to the whims of those in power. This insight challenges the notion that any system is inherently just or fair, instead highlighting the tension between the idealized and the actual.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider that even the most well-established institutions and norms are susceptible to revision and critique. By acknowledging the arbitrary nature of these systems, you can develop a more nuanced understanding of the world and cultivate a willingness to question and challenge the status quo, even when it seems most entrenched.",{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},2819592,"All coincidences are Odd. That’s what makes them coincidences.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":54,"quote_text":55,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":56,"source":57,"quote_tag":58,"commentary":9},2819590,"A bot had to find his own way, and I’d figured out that functioning for function’s sake was pointless.” – Mack Megaton.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":60,"quote_text":61,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":62,"source":63,"quote_tag":64,"commentary":9},2819588,"Damn, some days I wished I’d been made a toaster.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":66,"quote_text":67,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":68,"source":69,"quote_tag":70,"commentary":9},2819585,"Most magic wasn’t even magic. It just was.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":9},2819582,"Self-preservation was a basic directive, but there wasn’t a robot functioning that prioritized it at the top of the list. Like biologicals all robots were seeking a purpose. Autos and drones were lucky enough to have that built into them. A bot had to find his own way and I’d figured out that functioning for function’s sake was pointless. The real question was finding a directive worth getting scrapped for.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"currentPage":78,"totalPages":79,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":80},1,5,10]