“Wisdom consists partly in not pretending anymore, in discarding artifice.”
“Duty largely consists of pretending that the trivial is critical.”
Source: The Magus (1965), Ch. 18
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John Fowles 120
British writer 1926–2005Related quotes
“Power consists to a large extent in deciding what stories will be told.”
Source: Dictionary of Burning Words of Brilliant Writers (1895), P. 389.
“Do not hesistate to attack me, criticize me, if I do wrong in my job. It is your duty.”
Philstar, Duterte to media: You can criticize me as long as it’s true https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/09/11/1622603/duterte-media-you-can-criticize-me-long-its-true (September 2016)
On criticism
Fiji Live, 22 November 2005 http://www.Fijilive.com: Comments on the Reconciliation, Tolerance, and Unity Bill
Small Houses: Their Economic Design and Construction (1922)
Context: Economy in building consists in the aggregate of a great number of savings, which when considered separately may seem trivial, but when combined are important. The list of those here provided for... may be divided into classes as follows:<!-- Introduction
Quotes 1990s, 1990-1994, Noam Chomsky: A Life of Dissent, 1992
Context: I never criticized United States planners for mistakes in Vietnam. True, they made some mistakes, but my criticism was always aimed at what they aimed to do and largely achieved. The Russians doubtless made mistakes in Afghanistan, but my condemnation of their aggression and atrocities never mentioned those mistakes, which are irrelevant to the matter -- though not for the commissars. Within our ideological system, it is impossible to perceive that anyone might criticize anything but "mistakes" (I suspect that totalitarian Russia was more open in that regard).