November 20 ~  For the Sake of Others Critical Path

"You do not belong to you. You belong to the universe. The significance of you will forever remain obscure to you, but you may assume that you are fulfilling your significance if you apply yourself to converting all your experience to highest advantage of others. You and all men are here for the sake of other men." ~ R. Buckminster Fuller

R. Buckminster Fuller

A man who urged the world to "think global, act local" and the author of over 22 books, philosopher and visionary R. Buckminster Fuller, Jr. (1895-1983) was the holder of over 2,000 patents and called "the American Leonardo Da Vinci."

"Ideas are easy to come by; reduction to practice is an arduous but inspirationally rewarding matter," he explained. "Our power is in our ability to decide."

He served as a commander of crash boats during World War I and developed two inventions: a seaplane rescue mast and a jet stilt for vertical take-off aircrafts. An architect, inventor, engineer, writer, mathematician, and educator, "Bucky" to his friends celebrated the light and strength of geodesic domes as energy-efficient housing.

"I just invent," he explained. "Then wait until man comes around to needing what I've invented."

His trademark was the term "Dymaxion" (a combination of dynamic," "maximum," and "ion") to explain how to get the most output from minimal input of energy and materials.

"I'm not a genius. I'm just a tremendous bundle of experience," he said.

Born in Milton, Massachusetts, the creative thinker coined the terms "synergy" and "Spaceship Earth." He once said, "Ninety-nine percent of who you are is invisible and untouchable."

More BUCKY Quotations

Everything you do changes the universe.