[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fcUBQKsTr3K2l49VbepGWtGmX4HnDojXkZ5C1WxJ761M":3,"$fHwK4pkPHGyKbMqaAKWtaY0sNvj6kbP1ClkudiVjWkso":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},65571,"Samuel Noah Kramer","S",4,null,"samuel-noah-kramer",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":57},[14,23,29,46],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":22},3411453,"I discovered that in life, one has got to serve to be observed, if one serve not, one will probably be reserved. Don’t wisdom teach this?",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\n\nThis enigmatic quote is attributed to Samuel Noah Kramer, a renowned American Assyriologist and historian who spent his career deciphering ancient Sumerian texts. Written during the mid-20th century, when Kramer was actively excavating and translating cuneiform tablets in Mesopotamia, this passage reflects his introspective musings on human existence. At that time, Kramer was immersed in uncovering the secrets of ancient civilizations, a task that required immense dedication and perseverance.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nKramer's statement reveals a counter-intuitive truth: \"serving\" is not merely an act of selflessness but also a prerequisite for recognition and visibility. By positioning oneself to be observed, one can transcend obscurity, as if wisdom itself demands this calculated vulnerability. This paradox highlights the tension between seeking recognition and the humility required to serve others.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nTo apply Kramer's insight today, modern professionals and creatives would benefit from adopting a mindset of calculated exposure. By positioning themselves to be seen and serving others through their work, they can increase their visibility while avoiding the pitfalls of self-promotion.",{"id":24,"quote_text":25,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":9},3411439,"They devised such useful tools, skills, and techniques as the potter’s wheel, the wagon wheel, the plow, the sailboat, the arch, the vault, the dome, casting in copper and bronze, riveting, brazing and soldering, sculpture.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":30,"quote_text":31,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},707375,"Archaeological discoveries made in Egypt and in the Near East in the past hundred years have opened our eyes to a spiritual and cultural heritage undreamed of by earlier generations.",2,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[36,41],{"id":37,"tag":38},3481865,{"id":39,"tag_name":40},462,"history",{"id":42,"tag":43},3481864,{"id":44,"tag_name":45},54307,"archaeology",{"id":47,"quote_text":48,"author_id":5,"source_id":32,"has_image":18,"author":49,"source":50,"quote_tag":51,"commentary":9},430608,"Si d'aventure, tel se prend à douter de la fraternité des hommes et de l'humanité commune à tous les peuples et à toutes les races, qu'il parcoure leurs adages et leurs préceptes : il se rassurera.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[52],{"id":53,"tag":54},2476150,{"id":55,"tag_name":56},1358,"adages",{"currentPage":58,"totalPages":58,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":59},1,10]