Difference between revisions of "Emerson's consistency"
From Hull AWE
PeterWilson (Talk | contribs) (New page: The American thinker and writer, Emerson (1803-1882) said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and d...) |
PeterWilson (Talk | contribs) m |
||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| − | The American thinker and writer, [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emerson]] (1803-1882) said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." (''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. | + | The American thinker and writer, [[Ralph Waldo Emerson|Emerson]] (1803-1882) said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." (''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. |
*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. | *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. | ||
[[category:good writing]][[category:Good academic writing]] | [[category:good writing]][[category:Good academic writing]] | ||
Latest revision as of 17:00, 6 January 2013
The American thinker and writer, Emerson (1803-1882) said "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines." (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.
- 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.
