“At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner”

—  E. B. White

The Wild Flag (1943)
Context: The delegate from Patagonia spoke up. 'I fear that the wild flag, one for all, will prove an unpopular idea.'
'It will, undoubtedly,' sighed the Chinese delegate. 'But now that there are only a couple of hundred people on earth, even the word "unpopular" loses most of its meaning. At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner.' And he produced eighty-two more shoeboxes and handed a wild flag to each delegate, bowing ceremoniously.
Next day the convention broke up and the delegates returned to their homes, marveling at what they had accomplished in so short a time. And that is the end of our dream.

Adopted from Wikiquote. Last update June 3, 2021. History

Help us to complete the source, original and additional information

Do you have more details about the quote "At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner" by E. B. White?
E. B. White photo
E. B. White 54
American writer 1899–1985

Related quotes

Mark Twain photo

“The best of us would rather be popular than right.”

Mark Twain (1835–1910) American author and humorist

No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger (unpublished manuscript written 1902–1908)

Lawrence M. Krauss photo

“Science simply forces us to revise what is sensible to accommodate the universe, rather than vice versa.”

Source: A Universe from Nothing, Simon & Schuster (2012), p. 151

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi photo

“… It is when we act freely, for the sake of the action itself rather than for ulterior motives, that we learn to become more than what we were.”

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934) Hungarian American psychologist

Source: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Eleanor Roosevelt photo

“When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?”

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884–1962) American politician, diplomat, and activist, and First Lady of the United States

As quoted in "On The Universal Declaration of Human Rights" by Hillary Rodham Clinton in Issues of Democracy Vol. 3, No. 3 (October 1998), p. 11

Thomas Moore photo
Terry Goodkind photo

“I'd rather look a fool than be right and fail to act.”

Source: Soul of the Fire

Carlos Ruiz Zafón photo
George Washington photo

“Do not conceive that fine Clothes make fine Men, any more than fine feathers make fine Birds—A plain genteel dress is more admired and obtains more credit than lace & embroidery in the Eyes of the judicious and sensible.”

George Washington (1732–1799) first President of the United States

Letter to Bushrod Washington http://rotunda.upress.virginia.edu/founders/default.xqy?keys=FOEA-chron-1780-1783-01-15-12 (15 January 1783)
1780s

Alex Haley photo

“In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.”

Alex Haley (1921–1992) African American biographer, screenwriter, and novelist

As quoted in Traits of a Healthy Family (1985) by Dolores Curran, p. 199.
Context: The family is our refuge and our springboard; nourished on it, we can advance to new horizons. In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.

Related topics