“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No. 44, the Mysterious Stranger (unpublished manuscript written 1902–1908)
“At this juncture we might conceivably act in a sensible, rather than a popular, manner”
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.
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. White54
American writer 1899–1985Related quotes
“People always call it luck when you’ve acted more sensibly than they have.”
Anne Tyler (1941) American novelist
Lawrence M. Krauss book A Universe from Nothing
Source: A Universe from Nothing, Simon & Schuster (2012), p. 151
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934) Hungarian American psychologist
Source: Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
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
“I'd rather look a fool than be right and fail to act.”
Terry Goodkind book Soul of the Fire
Source: Soul of the Fire
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) <br class="br">1780s
“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.