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That’s dirty. And weird.

I’m going nuts right now chasing a tiny little mouse around my house. He’s disrupted my schedule many a times over the past couple weeks. I can completely relate to that quote. :)

Actually, that quote is a paraphrasing of an old African proverb:

“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping in a room with a mosquito.”

In fact, that proverb is what inspired me to create my company, Miskeeto. We focus on web design, social networking, training, microfundraising, and more for socially-conscious organizations.

This reminds me of something I heard at the Getting Real conference a couple years ago. It went something like this:

“Each additional person added to a company makes it that much more difficult to remain focused”.

I’m sure it was said with more elegance, but that is what I walked away with. I think this statement is spot on.

@GeelWonder: Do you think the mosquito was invited? That could be dirty if you let your mind run with it. I mean even if the mosquito was great and quite experienced, it’s lifespan is way to short for any lasting relationship. :) :)

Isn’t there a similar proverb about a pebble in your shoe?

“If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in bed with me.” – Ed Knittel

Alright, giggity-giggity.

By the way it’s totally not true. No matter what you hear. Seriously, quit pointing and laughing.

It’s a nice quote, but we should understand the difference.

Mosquito is small and effective, but equally bugging one. We want to be small and effective, but NOT the bugging one. :o)

I thought the quote was from Ghandi?

I heard it was from the Daila Lama. Maybe someone is laughing quietly somewhere…

Well we’ve narrowed it down to a human being is the originator of this quote…

Does anyone else feel the world getting dumber by the second?

Welcome to the era of consensus history (or lack thereof). Thank you Wikipedia.

I use to tell my kung fu students that. It’s amazing to see a small agile person force larger opponents to the ground with simplicity of movements.

Hmm, book idea “The Kung Fu of Design.” There are many parallels. Size and strength can not compete against economy of movement, flexibility, and skill.

GeeIWonder,

Consciencious Distroy, indeed. My thoughts exactly. Strengthening a claim with “it’s what Wikipedia told me” is inherently unreliable, and at a reasonably high risk of holding less true authoritative gavitas than “it’s what my dry cleaner told me.”

Anyone accustomed with the immense weight of evidentiary support knows that Chuck Norris is responsible for the prose.

This my new msn sentence. :D

Good quote, perhaps it would be more elegant if it was slightly rephrased :). About Wikipedia (which is off-topic, by the way), it’s probably not as bad as you think.

@Aditya Sure, but the reverse is true too (good point though :D)

But mosquitoes are only good at being annoying (and spreading plagues). Name a small thing that, on its own, is effective at doing good. Destroying is easy, building is hard.