Hello and welcome! I am SevenShepherd, a physics student and computer programmer working towards a Master’s in Applied Physics. This is my independent research ministry, which I have owned, operated, automated, and maintained since 2016. The X.com (formerly Twitter) account is managed by my custom Python-programmed Raspberry Pi single-board computer. Please feel free to look around, read articles, or contact me below.

Make every effort to present yourself before God as a proven worker who does not need to be ashamed, teaching the message of truth accurately. — 2 Timothy 2:15 NET

But examine all things; hold fast to what is good. — 1 Thessalonians 5:21 NET

Overview

Basic Protestant (five solas)
Theologically Conservative
Faith is a “believing trust” or “trustful belief”. Faith is composed of notitia (‘knowledge’), assensus (‘agreement’), and fiducia (‘trust and reliance’).
- pisteuō means “to entrust oneself to an entity in complete confidence, believe (in), trust, w. implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted…”
Repentance is a turning from sin to God (Acts 3:26,19), produced from godly sorrow (2Cor 7:10), culminating in a hatred for sin (Jude 23).
- The term metanoéō (μετανοέω) means “feel remorse, repent, be converted in a (religio-)ethical sense,” while metánoia (μετάνοια) means “repentance, turning about, conversion” (Bauer et al. 567–568). These definitions are drawn from the world’s most authoritative Greek lexicon available.
Moderate Distinctives (systemless)
Compatibilist view of free will
Eschatological Premillennialist
Soft-cessationist
Recommendations
- BDAG / HALOT
- NET Full Notes
- ESV Study Bible
- NLT Filament

Contents

I. Recommended Articles
II. Bibles, Dictionaries, & Lexicons
III. Theology & Distinctives
IV. Textual Criticism
V. Apologetics
VI. Scientist Theologians
VII. Wisdom & Philosophy
VIII. Hobbies & Recreation
IX. Quotes

I. Recommended Articles

These highly recommended versions and studies push our understanding far beyond our previous limitations. I study with the ESV Study Bible and Net Full Notes. I read leisurely with the NLT. If I’m traveling, I’ll use something small like the LSB NT w/ Psalms & Proverbs.

Translation type	Recommendations
Formal Equivalence “Word-For-Word”	▫️ ESV Study Bible

According to quantitative linguistic comparison of Bible translations using computerized statistical analysis, the ESV is one of the most literal Bible versions on earth. In addition to this, the Bible Study variant won ECPA Book of the Year and is considered to be the very best study bible.

“… The ESV is one of the few, and surpasses the others in its simple yet elegant style. In many respects the ESV has accomplished in the 21st century what the KJV accomplished in the 17th: a trustworthy, literary Bible that is suitable for daily reading, memorizing, and preaching.” — Daniel B. Wallace, Ph.D., Executive Director, Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts

The ESV Study Bible has over 200+ biblical scholars (100+ ESV; 95 Study); 9 countries, 20 denominations, 50 seminaries, colleges, and universities, including Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, London, Japan, California, MIT, Duke, Westminister, Dallas, etc. 20,000 study notes, 80,000 cross-references, 200+ charts, 50+ articles, 240 full-color maps and illustrations. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS ‘83, DSS, LXX, SP, S, Vg; UBS5, NA28. Many distinguished scholars including:

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Translation type	Recommendations
Optimal Equivalence “Best-Of-Both-Worlds”	▫️ NET Full Notes ▫️ EXB Expansions

The NET Bible, Full Notes Edition lends an extraordinarily unique perspective, namely, the minds of the translators. This transcends study bibles on details concerning language and translation decisions. With the translators’ notes, this is the most accurate version of the Bible on earth bar none.

“The extensive and reliable notes in the NET Bible were a wonderful help to our translation team as we worked to prepare the English Standard Version.” — Wayne Grudem, Harvard, Westminister, & Cambridge educated Research Professor and member of the Translation Oversight Committee of the ESV

The NET Bible: Full Notes Edition is a completely new, non-sectarian and “inter-denominational,” translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes, completed by more than 25+ of the world’s foremost biblical scholars from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Sheffield, Columbia, Dallas, etc. This is the largest set of translators’ notes ever created. Textual Basis: Masoretic Text BHS [B19^A(L)], DSS; NA28, UBS4. Many distinguished scholars including:

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Translation type	Recommendations
Dynamic Equivalence “Thought-For-Thought”	▫️ NLT Filament *Most Readable

The NLT Filament Study Bible has over 90+ Scholars in translation from Universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Manchester, Columbia, Westminster, Dallas, etc. The study brings even more to the table. In addition to the NLT being the most readable Bible version on earth according to quantitative linguistic comparison of Bible translations using computerized statistical analysis, many distinguished scholars are worth noting:

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Translation type	Recommendations
Paraphrase “In-Other-Words”	Not Recommended

This ministry does not recommend a Bible of the paraphrase type. We would instead direct you to dynamic equivalence. Paraphrases are NOT translations.

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Interlinear	The English-Greek Reverse Interlinear New Testament: English Standard Version (ESV)
Hebrew Lexicon (HALOT)	The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament
Greek Lexicon (BDAG)	A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed.
Greek Lexicon (TDNT)	Theological Dictionary of the New Testament: Abridged in One Volume
Biblical Hebrew OT	The Hebrew Old Testament Reader’s Edition
Koine Greek NT	ESV Greek-English New Testament: Nestle-Aland 28th Edition and English Standard Version
Courses	Basics of Biblical Hebrew 2.0 Basics of Biblical Greek 2.0 Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics

III. Theology & Distinctives

I am a theologically conservative Protestant, holding to the five solas, with moderate distinctives. I was raised around the Nazarenes (Wesleyan-Arminian) on my Grandfathers side, Baptists on my Grandmothers, the Calvary Chapel (Moderate) by my Parents, and Reformed Baptists (Calvinist) by my life-long friend. After a lifetime in Christianity, and years of recent research, I find myself to be completely moderate, but loving to all those who hold to essential doctrine. I will also peacefully and kindly debate those who are lost in the cults without any animosity.

If I had to describe my theology, it would be some amalgamation of amyraldianism and reformed wesleyanism. I also hold a compatibilist view on predestination and the sovereignty-responsibility tension problem. I consider myself to be a soft-cessationist, as I cautiously believe in the continuation of the sign gifts, only for those bringing the Gospel to new ears and those building the church (or being prepared to). I’ve written an entire article describing my theology.

Distinctive / Stance on Free Will (Decree)	Recommendation
Systemless Moderate	Dr. Hugh Ross (Ph.D., Astrophysicist at University of Toronto) “Beyond the Cosmos” – Dr. Michael S. Heiser (Ph.D., Wisconsin-Madison) “The Unseen Realm”
Amyraldian / Compatibilist (Sub.)	Dr. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) “*Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility” “The Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God*” – Dr. Ron Rhodes (Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary) “The Extent of the Atonement” – Dr. Walter Martin (Ph.D., California Coast University)
Amyraldian / Inclination (Sub.)	Dr. Bruce Demarest (Ph.D., Manchester) “*The Cross and Salvation” – Dr. Michael F. Bird (Ph.D., University of Queensland) “Unlimited Atonement: Amyraldism and Reformed Theology*”
Calvary Chapel Distinctive / Compatibilist (Wesl.) Essentially Reformed Arminianism w/ Eternal Security	Chuck Smith C2000 “Calvinism, Arminianism, & The Word Of God”
Reformed Arminianism / Libertarian (Wesl.) Can Renounce Faith & Lose Salvation	Dr. Stephen M. Ashby (PhD, Bowling Green State) “Four Views on Eternal Security”
Scholastic Calvinist / Inclination (Infra.) I Reject Limited Atonement But Otherwise Sound	Dr. J. I. Packer (PhD, Oxford) “*Concise Theology” – Dr. Wayne Grudem (PhD, Cambridge; DD, Westminister) “Systematic Theology*”
Hyper-Calvinism (Supra.), Hyper-Grace, Extreme 80s “Free Grace”, Catholicism, Theological Liberalism etc.	🚫

IV. Textual Criticism

Professors
NT Textual Criticism
Dr. Daniel B. Wallace (Ph.D., Dallas) June 5, 1952–Present	▫️ Reinventing Jesus
Dr. Peter J. Gurry (Ph.D., Cambridge)	▫️ Myths and Mistakes
Dr. Mark Ward (Ph.D., Bob Jones University)	▫️ Authorized ▫️ KJV Parallel Bible

Divine Council Theory OT Textual Criticism
Dr. Michael S. Heiser (Ph.D., Wisconsin) February 14, 1963–February 20, 2023	▫️ The Unseen Realm

V. Apologetics

Professors
Apologetics
Dr. Walter Martin (Ph.D., California Coast)	▫️ The Kingdom of the Cults ▫️ The Kingdom of the Occult ▫️ Quick Reference
Dr. Ron Rhodes (Th.D., Dallas Theological Seminary)	▫️ Reasoning from the Scriptures ▫️ 10 Most Important Things
Dr. Frank Turek (D.Min., Southern Evangelical Seminary)	▫️ I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ▫️ Stealing from God

VI. Scientists

God Created What Scientists Seek To Understand.

Scientist Theologians
Dr. Hugh Ross (Ph.D., Astrophysicist at the University of Toronto) July 24, 1945	▫️ Beyond The Cosmos ▫️ Why the Universe Is the Way It Is
Dr. John C. Polkinghorne (Prof., Mathematical Physics at Cambridge; Ph.D., Quantum Field Theory at Cambridge; Ph.D., Theoretical Elementary Particle Physics from Trinity College) October 16, 1930–March 9, 2021	▫️ Quarks, Chaos & Christianity
Dr. John C. Lennox (Ph.D., University of Cambridge; DPhil, Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of Oxford; DSc, Cardiff University) 7 November 1943 — Present	▫️ Can Science Explain Everything? ▫️ God and Stephen Hawking
Dr. Alister McGrath (Ph.D., Molecular Biophysics at Oxford; D.D., Theology at Oxford; D.Litt., Intellectual History at Oxford) January 23, 1953–Present	▫️ Mere Apologetics ▫️ The Dawkins Delusion
Dr. Stephen C. Meyer (Ph.D., University of Cambridge)	▫️ Return of the God Hypothesis ▫️ Darwin’s Doubt ▫️ Signature in the Cell

Einstein stood on the shoulders of devout Christian minds, and while he was not Christian, he was a deist, so I’m placing him here only for the fact that he recognized the truth, however faint. Science was born in the womb of a Christian worldview.

“In view of such harmony in the cosmos which I, with my limited human mind, am able to recognize, there are yet people who say there is no God. But what really makes me angry is that they quote me for the support of such views.” (Clark, Ronald W. (1971). Einstein: The Life and Times. New York: World Publishing Company) — Einstein

Historical
Greatest Minds
Sir Isaac Newton _{The First Great Unification} “The greatest scientific mind the world has ever produced” 4 January 1643 to 31 March 1727	Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy (Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica) The Principia is considered one of the most important works in the history of science.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Created calculus (like newton), and paved the way for Einstein’s theory of relativity 1 July 1646 to 14 November 1716	Monadology Einstein, who called himself a “Leibnizian” even wrote that Leibnizianism was superior to Newtonianism, and his ideas would have dominated over Newton’s had it not been for the poor technological tools of the time.
Michael Faraday The greatest self-taught experimental physicist, and one of the most influential scientists in history. 22 September 1791 to 25 August 1867	The Forces of Matter Albert Einstein kept a picture of Michael Faraday on his study wall, alongside pictures of Isaac Newton and James Clerk Maxwell at his apartment in Berlin, Germany.
James Clerk Maxwell _{The Second Great Unification} 13 June 1831 to 5 November 1879	A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic Field (1865), A Treatise On Electricity and Magnetism - Volume I, A Treatise On Electricity and Magnetism.- Volume II
Nikola Tesla 10 July 1856 to 7 January 1943	My Inventions: The Autobiography of Nikola Tesla, Experiments with Alternate Currents of High Potential and High Frequency
Albert Einstein When asked if he stood on the shoulders of Newton, he replied “No, on the shoulders of Maxwell” 14 March 1879 to 18 April 1955	Relativity: The Special and the General Theory Einstein’s theory of general relativity comprises the finalization of Newton’s assumption of gravitation and further encompasses Mach’s vision of the relativity of all motion; his theory of special relativity incorporates the finalization of the work of Maxwell and Lorentz.
Kurt Friedrich Gödel The Greatest Logician & Analytic Philosopher April 28, 1906 to January 14, 1978	On Formally Undecidable Propositions of Principia Mathematica and Related Systems, Gödel’s incompleteness theorems, Kurt Gödel’s Platonism “Kurt Gödel’s astonishing discovery and proof, published in 1931, that even in elementary parts of arithmetic there exist propositions which cannot be proved or disproved within the system, is one of the most important contributions to logic since Aristotle.”

VII. Wisdom & Philosophy

The word philosophy comes from the Greek word philosophia (φιλοσοφία), which means ‘love of wisdom’. There is some overlap in my metaphysical & epistemological views. Proverbs 16:16; James 1:5.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” — Plutarch

7.1 Metaphysics (The Ultimate Structure of Reality)

My metaphysical views will always be Christian first and foremost, but otherwise fall within the ontological mind-body problem, more specifically mind–body dualism. I believe this harmonizes with a cosmology of higher spatial dimensions.

“The laws of nature become simpler and elegant when expressed in higher dimensions” — Dr. Peter Freund, as quoted by Dr. Michio Kaku in his book Hyperspace.

Below you’ll find some Christian as well as some secular works that seem to coincide.


Plato 428/427 – 348/347 B.C.	Phaedo, Republic Classical Greek Philosophy & Platonism (Theory of forms, Allegory of the cave, Anamnesis)
Thomas Aquinas 1225 to 7 March 1274	Summa Theologica “Physics says nothing about where the laws of physics themselves come from. So the cosmological proof of Saint Thomas Aquinas concerning the First Mover or First Cause is left relevant even today.” — Dr. Michio Kaku, Professor of theoretical physics, The God Equation
René Descartes “cogito, ergo sum” 31 March 1596 to 11 February 1650	Meditations on First Philosophy, Treatise of Man, Passions of the Soul (Cartesian dualism)
Edwin A. Abbott 20 December 1838 to 12 October 1926	Flatland, Flatland Explained Higher Dimensional Physics
Claude Fayette Bragdon August 1, 1866 to September 17, 1946	A Primer Of Higher Space (The Fourth Dimension) Higher Dimensional Physics
Dr. Carlo H. Séquin Professor of Computer Science, U.C. Berkeley October 30, 1941	Perfect Shapes in Higher Dimensions
Dr. Michio Kaku January 24, 1947	Hyperspace, Parallel Worlds, The God Equation, Physics of the Impossible Parallel Universes, Time Warps, the 10th Dimension, Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel
Dr. Hugh Ross July 24, 1945	Beyond the Cosmos

7.2 Epistemology (The Nature of Knowledge)

My epistemological views are first and foremost Christian, but otherwise fall within the school of rationalism (the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive) like that of Descartes, Leibniz, Gödel, and Einstein. Leibniz created calculus independantly of Newton, and paved the way for Einstein’s theory of relativity. Einstein called himself a “Leibnizian,” but was also a Spinozist. I’m also a fan of skeptical scenarios, they remind me of Revelation 6:14.

“My theory is rationalistic, idealistic, optimistic, and theological” — Kurt Friedrich Gödel


Plato 428/427 – 348/347 B.C.	Theaetetus 158b-d The Dream Argument
Aristotle 384–322 BC	Metaphysics 1011a6 The Dream Argument
Zhuang Zhou 369 - 286 B.C.	Zhuangzi “The Butterfly Dream” or “Zhuangzi paradox”, The Dream Argument (See René Descartes’ evil demon, or the contemporary brain-in-a-vat, and Simulation hypothesis)
René Descartes “cogito, ergo sum” 31 March 1596 to 11 February 1650	Meditations on First Philosophy, The Rationalists (Descartes’ Evil Demon, The Dream Argument)

7.3 Virtue Ethics (Moral Philosophy)

My ethics views are Christian and are derived from the Gospels & Epistles. Overtime I have observed the truth (Ro 2:15-16) written upon the hearts of men; virtue ethics is rife with examples of human beings exhibiting their design, even when they are unaware of where it comes from. I am reminded of how Paul, in Acts 17:16-34, converted many Stoics and Epicureans.

²²So Paul, standing before the council,* addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, ²³ for as I was walking along I saw your many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about. — Acts 17:16–34 (22-23) NLT

While I find sinicization to be dangerous, I also find it curious that In some Chinese translations of the New Testament, λόγος (logos) is translated with the Chinese word dao (道) (e.g. John 1:1-3,14), indicating that the translators considered the concept of Tao to be somewhat equivalent to logos in Greek philosophy. — Sinicizing Christianity, Zheng (2017). p. 187.

I’ve listed below several philosophies that resemble the built in virtues that are inherent to our design. While I am Christian only, I’ve provided a timeline for perspective.


King David 1010 – 970 B.C.	Psalms Sapiential Wisdom Literature
King Solomon 971 – 931 B.C.	Proverbs, Ecclesiastes Sapiential Wisdom Literature
Aesop of Sardis The Sage of Lydia 620 – 564 B.C.	Aesop’s Fables Archaic Greek Fabulist (Childhood)
Lao Tzu 6th Century B.C.	Tao Te Ching (22, 27, 33, 42, 44, 56, 61, 68, 76, 81) Translated by Gia-Fu Feng Ancient Chinese Philosophical Taoism
Socrates 470 – 399 B.C.	Quotes Classical Greek Philosophy (The Socratic Method)
Christ Jesus Yahweh made manifest in the line of King David as prophesied. 4 B.C. – 30 A.D.	Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans Apostolic Age & Ante-Nicene Period Christianity (Χριστιανισμός), Followers of “The Way” (ἡ ὁδός - hė hodós)
Lucius Annaeus Seneca the Younger 4 B.C. – 65 A.D.	Dialogues On the Shortness of Life, Of Tranquillity of Mind, Of a Happy Life Hellenistic Greek & Roman Philosophy (Stoicism, Eudaimonia, Aretē, & Apatheia)
Emperor Marcus Aurelius 121 – 180 A.D.	Meditations Hellenistic Greek & Roman Philosophy (Stoicism, Eudaimonia, Aretē, & Apatheia)

7.4 Aesthetics (The Nature of Beauty)

My aesthetics views fall within mathematical and algorithmic beauty. Symmetry, the golden ratio, fibonacci, etc. Romans 1:20; Psalm 19:1.


First Cause, Pantokrator, Monas Monadum -∞ to ∞	Patterns In Nature, Recursion, Julia set, Mandelbrot set
John Martin 19 July 1789 to 17 February 1854	Sun to Stand Still, The Eve of the Deluge, Le Pandemonium Louvre
Gustave Doré 6 January 1832 to 23 January 1883	Roland à Roncevaux, The Empyrean, Paradiso

The Mozart effect is also interesting to me, and I believe classical music can have beneficial effects on the human brain. Patients with epilepsy find a decrease in epileptiform activity while listening to Mozart’s K.448 and Piano Concerto No. 23 (K. 488). Tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability are said to be the reason.

“Music is the one incorporeal entrance into the higher world of knowledge which comprehends mankind but which mankind cannot comprehend.” — Ludwig van Beethoven

At first my fascination was with songs like, Fantasie-Impromptu Op.66, “Moonlight” Sonata Op.27 #2 Mov 3, and Etude Op.10 #4. Eventually, I realized that I harbored a love for waltzes and ballads. Complex songs like the former list may be impressive, but I think something that speaks to you on a deeper level is more impressive even if it is slower.

By Date
Ludwig van Beethoven 17 December 1770 to 26 March 1827	“Moonlight” Sonata Op.27 #2 Mov 3, Für Elise
Frédéric François Chopin 1 March 1810 to 17 October 1849	Etude Op.10 #4, Winter Wind Op.25-11 (Hayato Sumino), Fantasie-Impromptu Op.66, Minute Waltz Op.64 #1, Waltz in C Sharp Minor (Op. 64 No. 2), Marche Funèbre, Ballade No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 55, No. 1 in F minor Andante (Brigitte Engerer), Nocturne in C Sharp Minor (No. 20), Chopin Ballade No. 1
Franz Liszt 22 October 1811 to 31 July 1886	Un Sospiro, La Campanella
Claude Debussy 22 August 1862 to 25 March 1918	Clair de lune, Arabesque, Préludes / Book 1, L. 117 - VI. Des pas sur la neige (Víkingur Ólafsson)
Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff 1 April 1873 to 28 March 1943	Moment Musicaux No. 4 in E Minor

“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” — Leonardo da Vinci


Rudyard Kipling 30 December 1865 to 18 January 1936	If
Robert Frost March 26, 1874 to January 29, 1963	Nothing Gold Can Stay
E.E. Cummings October 14, 1894 to September 3, 1962	[anyone lived in a pretty how town]

VIII. Hobbies & Recreation

8.1 Chess & Logic Puzzles

Recreational mathematics, logic puzzles, and strategy board games like Chess, have been shown to increase neuroplasticity. I find the whole game fascinating, and while I’ve never considered playing professionally, there are many inspirational figures like Fischer that make the game intriguing. I would showcase my wins against the Magnus (2882) bot on chess.com, but I don’t know that I should count wins by memorization or theory, as the bot was prone to play into certain lines very deeply. Pure tactical skill matters more to me.

I recently reached a 2605 rating on lichess
I may update this section with my best games


Robert James Fischer “Bobby Fischer” March 9, 1943 to January 17, 2008	Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess Chess Strategy (Youth)
Paul Van der Sterren	Fundamental Chess Openings (2009)
Nick de Firmian	Modern Chess Openings (2008)

I don’t think theres better logic puzzle material than Smullyan’s.


Dr. Raymond M. Smullyan May 25, 1919	What Is the Name of This Book?, To Mock a Mockingbird, The Lady or the Tiger?, A Beginner’s Guide to Mathematical Logic, A Beginner’s Further Guide to Mathematical Logic

8.2 Computer Programming (Formal Language)

I am creating a computer programming course for beginners as part of my digital discipleship program. I want to spread the Gospel message throughout the world more efficiently using technology and I need your help to do it.

Python Programming
SevenShepherd	SevenShepherd’s Courses
Python Documentation	Standard Library, Language Reference, HOWTOs

8.3 Esperanto (Constructed Language)

Learning a second language can increase problem solving ability. According to the telescope rule it takes less time to first learn a simple constructed language and then a natural language, than to learn only a natural language. The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, or Whorfianism, suggests that language affects our world views and perceptions, relative to ones native language.

“Thomson’s Rule for First-Time Telescope Makers: “It is faster to make a four-inch mirror then a six-inch mirror than to make a six-inch mirror.” — Programming Pearls, Communications of the ACM, September 1985

Esperanto is the world’s most widely spoken and most successful constructed international auxiliary language, and the only such language with a population of native speakers. Created by Polish ophthalmologist L. L. Zamenhof in 1887, it was intended to be a universal second language for international communication. According to the University of Manchester, the propaedeutic value of Esperanto raises language awareness and accelerates subsequent learning of foreign languages. Esperanto has approximately 2640 root words. The word esperanto translates into English as “one who hopes”.

Saluton kaj bonvenon, mi vidas, ke vi trovis mian blogon. Mi nomiĝas Rajano, kaj mi ŝatas programi komputilojn, ludi pianon kaj lerni lingvojn. Mi ankaŭ lernas paroli Esperanton flue, sed mi estas nur komencanto nuntempe. Mia filozofio estas konata kiel aŭtodidaktismo. — SevenShepherd


Tim Owen & Judith Meyer	Complete Esperanto “Learn to read, write, speak and understand Esperanto (Teach Yourself)”
Esperanto Links	Dictionary, table words, phrases, names, vikipedio, lernu, duolingo

8.4 French & Japanese (Natural Languages)

After one learns Esperanto, it’s propaedeutic value should increase your ability to learn languages like french especially. Use music to get a feel for language.


French	Je te laisserai des mots
Japanese	グッドバイ / Goodbye

The Foreign Service Institute (FSI) of the U.S. Department of State compiled learning expectations for the amount of time it takes a native english speaker to achieve proficiency with any given language. Languages are divided by difficulty into Categories I-IV.


Category I (Easy) 24-30 weeks (600-750 class hours)	Danish, Dutch, French (30), Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish
Category II (Moderate) Approximately 36 weeks (900 class hours)	German, Haitian Creole, Indonesian, Malay, Swahili
Category III (Hard) Approximately 44 weeks (1100 class hours)	Albanian, Amharic, Armenian, Azerbaijani, Bengali, Bulgarian, Burmese, Czech, Dari, Estonian, Farsi, Finnish, Georgian, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Kazakh, Khmer, Kurdish, Kyrgyz, Lao, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Mongolian, Nepali, Polish, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Sinhala, Slovak, Slovenian, Somali, Tagalog, Tajiki, Tamil, Telugu, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Turkmen, Ukrainian, Urdu, Uzbek, Vietnamese
Category IV (Super Hard) 88 weeks (2200 class hours)	Arabic, Cantonese (Chinese), Mandarin (Chinese), Japanese, Korean

According to a preliminary study, Esperanto led to a 50% improvement in French language acquisition, 40% in English, 30% in German, and 25% in Russian. If we look at French we can see that learning Esperanto first reduces the amount of time from 750 hours to 375 hours (a difference of 375 hours). German is also cut down from 900 hours to 630 hours (a difference of 270 hours). Together that’s 645 hours saved, roughly the size of an enitre language, because of Esperanto.

It’s interesting to note that Esperanto can be learned in 150 hours. If we look at the amount of hours left in French, after accounting for the preliminary study, we find that 150 hours of Esperanto + 375 hours of French = 525 hours total. That’s 2 languages in 225 hours less than French alone (750 hours).

IX. Inspirational Quotations

“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” — Aristotle, Metaphysics

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt, “Citizenship in a Republic”, a speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, France (23 April 1910)

“You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” — R. Buckminster Fuller, Beyond Civilization: Humanity’s Next Great Adventure (1999), p. 137

“Don’t fight forces, use them.” — R. Buckminster Fuller, In Shelter (May 1932)

“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.” — Charles R. Swindoll

“It is impossible to begin to learn that which one thinks one already knows.” — Epictetus, Book II, ch. 17. of Discourses

“Genius is the ability to independently arrive at and understand concepts that would normally have to be taught by another person.” — Immanuel Kant

“Study without desire spoils the memory, and it retains nothing that it takes in.” — Leonardo da Vinci

“Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings; He will not stand before obscure men.” — Proverbs 22:29 NASB

“The labour of the foolish wearieth every one of them, because he knoweth not how to go to the city.” — Ecclesiastes 10:15

“The key is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.” — Epictetus

“Great men are always of a nature originally melancholy.” — Aristotle

“For with much wisdom comes much sorrow, and as knowledge grows, grief increases.” — Ecclesiastes 1:18

“The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.” — Aldous Huxley, Proper Studies (1927)

“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.” — Stephen McCranie

“I have often wondered how it is that every man loves himself more than all the rest of men, but yet sets less value on his own opinion of himself than on the opinion of others.” — Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

“All men suffer, but not all men pity themselves” — Emperor Marcus Aurelius

“We suffer more often in imagination than in reality” — Lucius Annaeus Seneca

“Pain makes man think. Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.” — John Patrick

“Artful nature has given to the most perfect animal the same six limits as the cube has, most perfectly marked… Man himself is, as it were, a cube.” — Kepler, Mysterium Cosmographicum. Claude Fayette Bragdon, A Primer Of Higher Space, The Fourth Dimension. p. 67.