Maddenation
Intolerance of Ambiguity
From, as usual, A Word A Day email:
Intolerance of ambiguity is the mark of an authoritarian personality. —Theodor Adorno, philosopher and composer (1903-1969)
I think this is a useful quote for a teacher whose students want it in black and white, who think there is a right answer for everything. Relatedly, here is a quote from Montaigne, which I discovered today in his essay “Of prayers” (in Charles Cotton’s very old, but public-domain translation):
I for my part propose fancies merely human and merely my own, and that simply as human fancies, and separately considered, not as determined by any decree from heaven, incapable of doubt or dispute; matter of opinion, not matter of faith; things which I discourse of according to my own notions, not as I believe, according to God; after a laical, not clerical, and yet always after a very religious manner, as children prepare their exercises, not to instruct but to be instructed.
By the way, where is everybody?
Patrick • Quotes • 12/17/05 • 1 comments
Comments
Dad • 12/18/05 • 1:00 PM:Hey! I published and entry just yesterday, and it never showed up! Giving the blog the benefit of the doubt (which it has certainly not earned) maybe I forgot to “post” it, or made some other mistake, but I certainly was surprised not to see it there today.
By the way, even when the comment sign-in works, if I’m using Safari, I have to hit the reload button in order for the comment box to show up. Like the lack of a “home” key, this is not a show stopper, but potentially a bit annoying.
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