There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
We shouldn't be looking for heroes, we should be looking for good ideas.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of ideas over individuals in driving change and progress.
Noam Chomsky argues that society should focus on generating and nurturing good ideas rather than idolizing heroes. This perspective encourages collective thinking and innovation, highlighting that sustainable progress comes from concepts and solutions rather than reliance on exceptional individuals. By prioritizing ideas, we can collectively work toward improving our world.
In practice
In a discussion about community development, this quote can highlight the importance of collaborative ideas over individual leaders.
There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
I remember World War II when there were very few books, very little paper available. For me to walk into a shop or look at a list and see anything that I want, or almost anything, is like a kind of miracle.
If you have something about yourself that's different, you're lucky. It's not a curse.
The pain of problems is a call to find solutions rather than a reason for unhappiness and inaction, so it's silly, pointless, and harmful to be upset at the problems and choices that come at you (though itβs understandable).
Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.
As soon as I observed myself from outside myself, I recognized and understood that I had a long-standing habit of keeping an eye on myself. That's how I managed to pull myself together, over the years, checking myself from the outside.
You have to have a lot of ideas. First, if you want to make discoveries, it's a good thing to have good ideas. And second, you have to have a sort of sixth sense-the result of judgment and experience-which ideas are worth following up. I seem to have the first thing, a lot of ideas, and I also seem to have good judgment as to which are the bad ideas that I should just ignore, and the good ones, that I'd better follow up.
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