Anyone who isn't confused really doesn't understand the situation.
Interpretation
Confusion often signifies depth of understanding and awareness of complexity.
This quote by Edward R. Murrow suggests that true comprehension of complex situations involves recognizing their ambiguity and uncertainty. If someone claims to fully understand without any confusion, they may not be perceiving the nuances and intricacies present in the reality of the situation.
In practice
This quote can be used in a discussion about leadership challenges.
We have currently a built-in allergy to unpleasant or disturbing information. Our mass media reflect this. But unless we get up off our fat surpluses and recognize that television in the main is being used to distract, delude, amuse, and insulate us, then television and those who finance it, those who look at it, and those who work at it, may see a totally different picture too late.
Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices - just recognize them.
One of the basic troubles with radio and television news is that both instruments have grown up as an incompatible combination of show business, advertising and news. Each of the three is a rather bizarre and demanding profession. And when you get all three under one roof, the dust never settles.
Speaking of Sir Winston Churchill: He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.
We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.
The speed of communications is wondrous to behold. It is also true that speed can multiply the distribution of information that we know to be untrue.
Why are you doing this to yourself? When something bad happens, why do you have to pick at it until it bleeds all over again?
The world is bad but not without hope. It is only hopeless when you look at it from an ideal viewpoint.
Trust the people -- that is the crucial lesson of history.
If you own up to your mistakes, you don't suffer as much. But that's a tough lesson to learn.
Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was.
When I left the house of bondage I left everything behind. I wasn't going to keep nothing of Egypt on me, an' so I went to the Lord an' asked him to give me a new name. And he gave me Sojourner because I was to travel up and down the land showing the people their sins and bein' a sign unto them. I told the Lord I wanted two names 'cause everybody else had two, and the Lord gave me Truth, because I was to declare the truth to the people.
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