Sometimes it's best to speak from ignorance: that way, you can see the wood without being distracted by the trees.
Howard JacobsonRead
It is no judgement of a thing outside yourself to say it makes you ill. The wise reader knows that every pronouncement is, to some degree, an act of self-exposure; the book you find too challenging might only show how ill-equipped you are to face its challenge.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our reactions to challenges often reflect our own limitations.
This quote suggests that when we find something difficult or unpalatable, such as a book or an idea, it often reveals more about our own readiness or capability than it does about the thing itself. The challenge presented by external factors is not just a matter of their quality or nature; it's also a reflection of our personal growth and understanding.
Themes
Self-ReflectionChallengesWisdomUnderstandingPersonal Growth
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club discussion when someone struggles with the material presented.
More from Howard Jacobson
All quotes →I think one of the main reasons I write is to do better than ranting. The ranting is the opinion, and the writing is not the opinion. I always say that people's opinions are the worst things about them. The words demand a dignity.
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In my experience, every book you write changes the conditions in which you write the next.
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It isn't only in the name of free speech that the views of an itchy polemicist should be tolerated - and I say itchy polemicist promoting thought, not itchy ideologue promoting violence - but because provocation is indispensable to the workings of a sound, creative culture.
Howard JacobsonRead
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