http://hull-awe.org.uk/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Emerson%27s_consistency 2026-05-01T02:58:51Z Revision history for this page on the wiki MediaWiki 1.23.2 http://hull-awe.org.uk/index.php?title=Emerson%27s_consistency&diff=41051&oldid=prev 2013-01-06T16:00:30Z

<p></p> <table class='diff diff-contentalign-left'> <col class='diff-marker' /> <col class='diff-content' /> <col class='diff-marker' /> <col class='diff-content' /> <tr style='vertical-align: top;'> <td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">← Older revision</td> <td colspan='2' style="background-color: white; color:black; text-align: center;">Revision as of 16:00, 6 January 2013</td> </tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno">Line 1:</td> <td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno">Line 1:</td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>−</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The American thinker and writer, [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emerson]] (1803-1882) said &quot;A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.&quot; (''Self-Reliance'', ''Essays: First Series'', 1841). It is sometimes pointed out that Emerson does not define 'foolish consistency', particularly as opposed to a '''wise''' consistency; but it seems to AWE that the fundamental point is that narrow, precise and nit-picking distinctions about things like consistency are one of the things that Emerson was anxious to avoid. &#160;</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>+</td><td style="color:black; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>The American thinker and writer, [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emerson]] (1803-1882) said &quot;A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.&quot; (''Self-Reliance'', ''Essays: First Series'', 1841). It is sometimes pointed out that Emerson does not define 'foolish <ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">[[</ins>consistency<ins class="diffchange diffchange-inline">]]</ins>', particularly as opposed to a '''wise''' consistency; but it seems to AWE that the fundamental point is that narrow, precise and nit-picking distinctions about things like consistency are one of the things that Emerson was anxious to avoid. &#160;</div></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*And so we will leave Emerson's advice as it stands. Do not give consistency the priority over good (that is clear) writing. Communication comes first.</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>*And so we will leave Emerson's advice as it stands. Do not give consistency the priority over good (that is clear) writing. Communication comes first.</div></td></tr> <tr><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>[[category:good writing]][[category:Good academic writing]]</div></td><td class='diff-marker'>&#160;</td><td style="background-color: #f9f9f9; color: #333333; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #e6e6e6; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>[[category:good writing]][[category:Good academic writing]]</div></td></tr> </table>

PeterWilson http://hull-awe.org.uk/index.php?title=Emerson%27s_consistency&diff=15005&oldid=prev 2008-12-16T17:44:47Z

<p>New page: The American thinker and writer, <a href="/index.php?title=Ralph_Waldo_Emerson&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1" class="new" title="Ralph Waldo Emerson (page does not exist)">Emerson</a> (1803-1882) said &quot;A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and d...</p> <p><b>New page</b></p><div>The American thinker and writer, [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emerson]] (1803-1882) said &quot;A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.&quot; (''Self-Reliance'', ''Essays: First Series'', 1841). It is sometimes pointed out that Emerson does not define 'foolish consistency', particularly as opposed to a '''wise''' consistency; but it seems to AWE that the fundamental point is that narrow, precise and nit-picking distinctions about things like consistency are one of the things that Emerson was anxious to avoid. <br /> <br /> *And so we will leave Emerson's advice as it stands. Do not give consistency the priority over good (that is clear) writing. Communication comes first.<br /> [[category:good writing]][[category:Good academic writing]]</div>

PeterWilson