Pragmatist’s prayer

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There are two versions of the pragmatist’s prayer; the traditional one, from American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change;

Courage to change the things I can;

And wisdom, to know the difference.

— Reinhold Niebuhr

And the pithy one, from Ford Fairlane, Rock ’n’ Roll Detective:

So many assholes ... so few bullets.

— The Adventures of Ford Fairlane, Rock ’n’ Roll Detective

Both are apt when dealing with management consultants and middle managers, but we prefer the latter.

See also

• Survivor