There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
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.
Interpretation
People often avoid confronting their true selves and instead create justifications for their actions.
Noam Chomsky's quote points to the human tendency to avoid self-reflection and accountability. It suggests that rather than acknowledging our flaws or wrongdoings, we often construct narratives that rationalize our behavior, allowing us to escape the uncomfortable truth of who we are. This quote serves as a reminder of the importance of honesty and transparency in self-assessment.
In practice
During a seminar on personal growth, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of self-honesty.
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.
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.
When Rumsfeld gets up on television and says we have definitive intelligence that al Qaeda is working with Iraq, how is an ordinary citizen supposed to react? They won't tell you the evidence, and when anyone asks, they say, 'Well, you know: It's secret.'
I began thinking about my skeleton, this solid, beautiful thing inside me that I would never see.
Our judgments judge us, and nothing reveals us, exposes our weaknesses, more ingeniously than the attitude of pronouncing upon our fellows.
To remember oneself means the same thing as to be aware of oneself - I am. It is not a function, not thinking, not feeling; it is a different state of consciousness.
A corporation is an artificial being, invisible, intangible, and existing only in contemplation of law.
Once thing goes wrong, then the whole house of cards collapses. And there's no way you can extricate yourself. Until someone comes along to drag you out.
No man means all he says, and yet very few say all they mean, for words are slippery and thought is viscous.
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