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Louis Sullivan - Form follows function – that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union · the Daily Quote - Positive Daily Inspiration and Motivational Quote of the Day

• 0:03
  Welcome to the Daily Quote, a podcast designed to kick start
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  your day in a positive way. I'm your host Andrew McGivern
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  for August 24th, today's National Waffle Day, and it has
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  to be one of the most perfectly practical origin stories you'll
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  ever hear. We celebrate this delicious day
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  because on August 24th, 1869, Cornelius Startwell of Troy, NY
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  received AUS Patent for his improvement in waffle irons, the
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  first modern waffle iron that revolutionized how we make these
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  beloved breakfast treats. Now, waffles themselves have
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  been around much longer than 1869.
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  Ancient Greeks were cooking flat cakes between metal plates as
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  far back as the 1300s, though they topped them with cheese and
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  herbs rather than Maple syrup. Medieval Europeans refined the
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  process, creating intricate patterns and designs in their
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  waffle irons. But Startwell's genius was
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  transforming the waffle iron from a cumbersome, dangerous
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  tool into something safe and practical for home use.
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  This design featured hinged plates that could easily be
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  turned, preventing burns and ensuring even cooking.
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  It was heated on a stove top, making waffles accessible to
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  regular families rather than just professional bakers or the
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  wealthy. Suddenly these grill pattern
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  delights with their perfect syrup catching squares could
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  grace breakfast tables across America.
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  What makes waffles so special isn't just their taste, it's
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  their design. Those squares aren't just
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  decorative, they're functional. They're masterpieces that hold
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  butter, syrup, fruit, and whatever delicious toppings you
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  can imagine. It's form meeting function in
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  the most delicious way possible. Which brings us perfectly into
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  today's quote from the legendary architect Louis Sullivan, who
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  once said form follows function. That has been misunderstood.
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  Form and function should be 1 joined in a spiritual union.
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  Hmm. Louis Sullivan's architectural
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  principle connects beautifully to the humble waffle and
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  Cornelius Startwell's innovative design.
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  Sullivan is often simplified to just form follows function, but
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  his complete thought is much more profound.
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  He believed that the best designs achieve a perfect
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  marriage between how something looks and how it works.
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  Think about the waffle. Those distinctive square
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  indentations aren't there just to make it look pretty.
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  Every pocket serves a purpose, creating the perfect vessel for
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  syrup, butter and toppings. And I don't know if you tried,
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  but blueberries fit in there perfectly.
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  The grid pattern also ensures even cooking and creates more
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  surface area for that perfect crispy exterior.
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  Form and function exist in what Sullivan called a spiritual
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  union. Start Boat understood this
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  principle intuitively. His waffle iron wasn't just
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  functional, it was elegantly designed with hinged plates that
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  made flipping easy and safe, handles that stayed cool, and a
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  compact form that fit well on stove tops.
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  He didn't just solve the functional problems of waffle
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  making, he created something beautiful in its simplicity.
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  The principle extends far beyond architecture and kitchen
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  appliances. The best solutions in life often
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  come when we stop seeing beauty and practicality as opposing
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  forces and start looking for ways to unite them.
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  Whether we're organizing our homes, planning our days, or
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  building relationships, the most satisfying approaches are those
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  where what works well also feels right.
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  The waffle reminds us that sometimes the most elegant
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  solutions are also the most functional ones, and the most
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  practical designs can also be the most pleasing.
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  I love waffles, but my little waffle maker isn't working this
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  weekend or actually this month because he's in France and Spain
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  and I can't even get his sisters to make waffles today because
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  guess where they are? Yeah, Europe.
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  So today on National Waffle Day, guess who's going to make the
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  most unbelievably good waffles for breakfast?
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  Me. You too can make waffles today
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  if your little. Actually, he's really big.
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  Now, if your little waffle maker is far, far away, you can make
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  waffles on your own. So today, in honor of National
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  Waffle Day and Cornelius Startwout's brilliant design,
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  consider where you might apply Louis Sullivan's principle in
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  your own life. Look for opportunities to unite
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  form and function, beauty and practicality, elegance and
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  effectiveness. Remember that the best
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  solutions, whether they're waffle irons, life choices, or
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  daily routines, often happen when we stop seeing function and
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  beauty as separate goals and start looking for ways to
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  achieve both in harmony. That's going to do it for today.
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  May your solutions be as elegant as they are effective.
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  And may you always find those perfect pockets for life's
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  sweetest moments. I'm Andrew McGivern, signing off
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  for now, but I'll be back tomorrow.
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  Same pod time, same pod station with another.