Yes. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson. >This was one of my ex-wife's favorite quotations when I caught her in an >inconsistency, but in fact, I think the full quotation is "A *foolish* >consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," and that the author was >someone who lived before Huxley, though I can't remember who. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
tfj_at_interaccess.com wrote: > > Emerson I believe. > > > To those who believe there is only one right way I will quote Aldous > > Huxley: > > "Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds". (I think it was Aldous > > >> > > > > I think the full quotation is "A *foolish* > > consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," Showing evidence of a small mind, I believe that the quote is "A foolish _preoccupation_ with consistency..." And I'm not sure that 'foolish' is the right word. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
The quote is from Emerson's Self-Reliance and, in context, goes as follows: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day. -- `Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' -- Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood. If you wish to read the complete essay, try http://miso.wwa.com/~jej/selfreli.html Glenn At 09:32 AM 4/21/2000 -0400, Steve Cramer wrote: >tfj_at_interaccess.com wrote: > > > > Emerson I believe. > > > > > To those who believe there is only one right way I will quote Aldous > > > Huxley: > > > "Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds". (I think it was Aldous > > > >> > > > > > > I think the full quotation is "A *foolish* > > > consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," > >Showing evidence of a small mind, I believe that the quote is "A foolish >_preoccupation_ with consistency..." And I'm not sure that 'foolish' is >the right word. > >Steve >*************************************************************************** >PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not >to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission >Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net >Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ >*************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Steve's 'revisionist/original' version seems the only one to make any sense, though it's original incarnation (without the 'foolish') suited Huxley's concept of the 'Superman' quite appropriately. Steve Cramer wrote: > > tfj_at_interaccess.com wrote: > > > > Emerson I believe. > > > > > To those who believe there is only one right way I will quote Aldous > > > Huxley: > > > "Consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds". (I think it was Aldous > > > >> > > > > > > I think the full quotation is "A *foolish* > > > consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds," > > Showing evidence of a small mind, I believe that the quote is "A foolish > _preoccupation_ with consistency..." And I'm not sure that 'foolish' is > the right word. > > Steve -- : : Gabriel L Romeu : http://studiofurniture.com furniture from the workshop : http://members.xoom.com/gabrielR life as a tourist, daily journal : http://users.aol.com/romeugp paintings, photographs, etchings, objects *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. . . . Speak what you think to-day in words as hard as cannonballs, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day." Ralph Waldo Emerson Essays: Self-Reliance Don't 'cha love playing "Find Waldo"? ____________________________________________________________________ Richard Culpeper E-mail: culpeper_at_tbaytel.net Website: http://www.tbaytel.net/culpeper "Hour after hour, day after day, far from sight of shore, We laughed and sang and slept under the hot sun on the northern ocean, Wanting never to return." -- Kimosippi '95 -- ______________________________________________________________________ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do." from Emerson's Essays: Self Reliance. (As found in Bartletts Familiar Quotations ) *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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