No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.
Bernard LevinRead
Ask a man which way he is going to vote, and he will probably tell you. Ask him, however, why, and vagueness is all.
Interpretation
People often know their choices but lack the reasoning behind them.
This quote highlights the difference between knowing what one is going to do, such as voting, and understanding the motivations and reasoning behind that choice. It suggests that while individuals can easily express their decisions, delving into the reasons can reveal a lack of clarity or understanding, exposing the complexity of human decision-making.
In practice
During a political discussion, you can quote this to emphasize the importance of understanding one's beliefs.
No amount of manifest absurdity... could deter those who wanted to believe from believing.
What has happened to architecture since the second world war that the only passers-by who can contemplate it without pain are those equipped with a white stick and a dog?
If we expected self-reliance of family groups, if we expected hardiness and resilience and initiative on the part of individuals, and if we rewarded initiative instead of dependence on government, we would not only ameliorate many of the family-related social problems we see at present, but we would also reduce our vulnerability to terrorism. People who are hardy, resilient, and self reliant are a lot harder to terrorize.
Laugh at yourself, but don't ever aim your doubt at yourself.
Why is discipline important? Discipline teaches us to operate by principle rather than desire. Saying no to our impulses (even the ones that are not inherently sinful) puts us in control of our appetites rather than vice versa. It deposes our lust and permits truth, virtue, and integrity to rule our minds instead.
You don't have to preach honesty to men with creative purpose. Let a human being throw the engines of his soul into the making of something, and the instinct of workmanship will take care of his honesty.
We need to learn to let go as easily as we grasp and we will find our hands full and our minds empty.
With pride, there are many curses. With humility, there come many blessings.
What is discipline? Discipline means creating an order within you. As you are, you are a chaos.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.