“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” — Aristotle
“Education enables you to express assent or dissent in graduated terms.” — William Cory
“Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.” — Robert Frost
“To change an opinion without a mental process is the mark of the uneducated.” — Geoffrey Madan
“To have doubted one’s own first principles is the mark of a civilized man.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes
“There is a danger in being persuaded before one understands.” — Thomas Wilson
It was well remarked by an intelligent old farmer, ‘I would rather be taxed for the education of the boy, than the ignorance of the man. For one or the other I am compelled to pay.’ — Southern Cultivator, January 1848
“A thing is a hole in a thing it is not.” — Carl Andre
And after all that…
“An inventor is simply a fellow who doesn’t take his education too seriously.” — Charles F. Kettering
(Quotes originally compiled by Futility Closet)
I liked what these say Dave but it’s a shame they were all from men. To go with your theme of using quotes: ‘I can’t dance to it if it’s not my revolution’ Emma Goldman
Good point well made Jenny! My apologies for not picking this up earlier.
Dave
No probs Dave, and thanks for responding. You are usually so great with inclusivity.
Since when should thought be gender biased?
I’m not sure what you mean here… but if you are referring to my comment earlier I was talking about who’s voices are predominantly heard. Critical perspectives include understanding and deconstructing power and part of this can be giving voice to ‘silenced perspectives’. In this context where Dave was blogging about ‘meditations on education and intelligence’ I was expressing my discomfort that the only people’s meditations that he included were those of men (also, as far as I know they are/were also all white and able bodied). What voices are then unheard? What might the voices of women, for example, add to these meditations and perspectives on education and intelligence?
I think one of most important points you raise Jenny, and one you rightly pull me up for, is the tacit, hidden, quotidian nature of power asymmetries that are so lazily perpetuated. I should have taken more care with the posting. It’s only when someone draws biased like this out that we see we’ve made an error. We need to acknowledge it then I think, and become more aware not to repeat it in future. We should also be careful to support people who do raise a voice of objection and not make them the object if our bigotry.