He walked out into the cold morning asking himself this heretical question: Can you start measuring a minute at any instant you wish?
William GaddisRead
Stupidity is the deliberate cultivation of ignorance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Stupidity arises when individuals choose to ignore knowledge and understanding intentionally.
This quote by William Gaddis highlights the idea that stupidity is not just a lack of intelligence, but rather a conscious choice to remain ignorant. It suggests that people can actively cultivate their ignorance by avoiding information, questioning, or critical thinking, leading to a deeper form of foolishness that is detrimental to personal and societal growth.
Themes
StupidityIgnoranceKnowledgeWisdomChoice
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion on education, this quote can emphasize the importance of critical thinking in the curriculum.
More from William Gaddis
All quotes βI see the player piano as the grandfather of the computer, the ancestor of the entire nightmare we live in, the birth of the binary world where there is no option other than yes or no and where there is no refuge.
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Say a word, say a thousand to me on the telephone and I shall choose the wrong one to cling to as though you had said it after long deliberation when only I provoked it from you, I will cling to it from among a thousand, to be provoked and hurl it back with something I mean no more than you meant that, something for you to cling to and retreat clinging to.
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How real is any of the past, being every moment revalued to make the present possible.
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If you want to make a million you don't have to understand money, what you have to understand is people's fears about money
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