Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
Alexander PopeRead
To observations which ourselves we make, we grow more partial for th' observer's sake.
Interpretation
We tend to become biased in our observations due to our personal involvement and perspectives.
This quote by Alexander Pope emphasizes how our personal experiences and positions as observers influence our interpretations of reality. When we make observations, we often allow our biases and emotional connections to color our view, leading us to prioritize our personal stake in the matter above an objective understanding.
In practice
During a discussion about a controversial topic, you might quote this to remind others of the biases that influence their views.
Do good by stealth, and blush to find it fame.
What dire offence from am'rous causes springs, What mighty contests rise from trivial things.
Fair tresses man's imperial race ensnare; And beauty draws us with a single hair.
An honest man's the noblest work of God.
One thought of thee puts all the pomp to flight;_x000D_ _x000D_ Priests, tapers, temples, swim before my sight.
Who breaks a butterfly on a wheel?
The waters are in motion, but the moon retains its serenity.
You were dead, you were sleeping the big sleep, you were not bothered by things like that, oil and water were the same as wind and air to you. You just slept the big sleep, not caring about the nastiness of how you died or where you fell. Me, I was part of the nastiness now. Far more a part of it than Rusty Regan was.
We seek true individuality and the true individuals. But we find them not. For lo, we mortals see what our poor eyes can see; and they, the true individuals, - they belong not to this world of our merely human sense and thought.
War is mankind's most tragic and stupid folly; to seek or advise its deliberate provocation is a black crime against all men.
Our social and economic system cannot march toward better days unless it is inspired by things of the Spirit. It is here that the higher purposes of individualism must find their sustenance.
I wish we questioned the aid model as much as we are questioning the capitalism model. Sometimes the most generous thing you can do is just say no.
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