I know that most men, including those at ease with problems of the greatest complexity, can seldom accept the simplest and most obvious truth if it be such as would oblige them to admit the falsity of conclusions which they have proudly taught to others, and which they have woven, thread by thread, into the fabrics of their life. --Tolstoy
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Quote of the Day: Truth Vs. Prior Conlusions
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8 comments:
My dear Watson, you have failed to apply my theorum. Once you have dismissed all of the wrong answers, the only remaining answer, no matter how far fetched, is the true answer.
misquoting Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes.
Now you should read more Tolstoy.
This is one of those sentences that just makes me marvel at the wonders of the human mind and its ability to construct and understand language. It's a rather complex sentence, but is understood readily. Another sentence that I heard recently and randomly impressed me is "More Americans need more sleep more than they need more exercise." And of course there's the classic "Buffalo buffalo, Buffalo buffalo buffalo, buffulo Buffalo buffalo."
asher:
There are a whole lot of wrong answers out there. Have you really dismissed them all?
A wonderful statement- Tolstoy was such a wonderful writer.
...which is why professors are often so exreme. :) (Same applies to many liberals.)
ezzie:
no argument here.
Considering Tolstoy's treatment of Natasha in 'War and Peace,' and his very radical version of Christianity, I'm hesitant to follow in the wake of any philosohical comments of his.
That's not to say they're not fun to read. :)
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