Controlled hysteria is what's required. To exist constantly in a state of controlled hysteria. It's agony. But everyone has agony. The difference is that I try to take my agony home and teach it to sing.
Arthur MillerRead
The task of the real intellectual consists of analyzing illusions in order to discover their causes.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Real intellectuals critically examine false beliefs to understand their origins.
This quote by Arthur Miller emphasizes the role of intellectuals in society as those who critically analyze and deconstruct commonly held illusions or misconceptions. By uncovering the underlying causes of these illusions, they provide deeper insights and understanding of the human experience, ultimately fostering greater knowledge and awareness in both themselves and others.
Themes
IntellectualIllusionAnalysisCausesUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a lecture on critical thinking, this quote can be used to illustrate the importance of questioning commonly accepted ideas.
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Amos Oz is one of the finest novelists of this entire period. MY MICHAEL is a beautiful work of great depth and in some indescribable way lingers in the mind as a lyric song to his country's people as much as a moving love story.
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Just remember, kid, you can quicker get back a million dollars that was stole than a word that you gave away.
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Oh,Elizabeth, your justice would freeze beer.
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The structure of a play is always the story of how the birds came home to roost.
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