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Quote by Joseph Epstein

“Generalization, especially risky generalization, is one of the chief methods by which knowledge proceeds... Safe generalizations are usually rather boring. Delete that "usually rather." Safe generalizations are quite boring.”

Quote by Joseph Epstein

Author

Joseph Epstein is an American writer born on January 9, 1937. Known for his unique sense of humor and profound insight, Epstein's works span literary criticism, short stories, and essays. His writing style has been widely appreciated by readers, particularly in the field of literary criticism. more

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“Always seek the general and never quite trust it.”

Trust Never Quit

Author:Joseph Epstein

“English humor resembles the Loch Ness Monster in that both are famous but there is a strong suspicion that neither exists.”

Strong Monsters Suspicion Loch Ness Monster

Book:English Humour for Beginners

Source: English Humour for Beginners

“We must find out what words are and how they function. They become images when written down, but images of words repeated in the mind and not of the image of the thing itself.”

Mind Written Function

Author:William S. Burroughs

“The youth rebellion [1968] is a worldwide phenomenon that has not been seen before in history. I do not believe they will calm down ad be ad execs at thirty as the Establishment would like us to believe.”

Believe Youth Calm Thirty Rebellion Phenomenon Ads Establishment Calm Down

Author:William S. Burroughs

“(1) Never give anything away for nothing. (2) Never give more than you have to give (always catch the buyer hungry and always make him wait). (3) Always take everything back if you possibly can.”

Ifs Giving Waiting Hungry Buyers

Author:William S. Burroughs

“The bad workmen who form the majority of the operatives in many branches of industry are decidedly of opinion that bad workmen ought to receive the same wages as good.”

Form Work Opinion Industry Ought Majority Branches Good Work Wages Workmen

Book:On Liberty: Mill's Works

Source: On Liberty: Mill's Works

“In proportion to the development of his individuality, each person becomes more valuable to others. There is a greater fullness of life about his own existence, and when there is more life in the units there is more in the mass which is composed of them.”

Persons Individual Existence Greater Development Mass Individuality Valuable Proportion Units Fullness Fullness Of Life

Book:On Liberty: Representative Government ; The Subjection of Women : Three Essays

Source: On Liberty: Representative Government ; The Subjection of Women : Three Essays

“The despotism of custom is on the wane. We are not content to know that things are; we ask whether they ought to be.”

Knows Asks Ought Customs Despotism

Author:John Stuart Mill

“A cultivated mind is one to which the fountains of knowledge have been opened, and which has been taught, in any tolerable degree, to exercise its faculties.”

Mind Has Beens Culture Taught Exercise Degrees Faculty Fountain Tolerable

Book:Utilitarianism

Source: Utilitarianism

“A people may prefer a free government, but if by momentary discouragement or temporary panic, or a fit of enthusiasm for an individual, they can be induced to lay their liberties at the feet of even a great man, or trust him with powers to subvert their institutions, in all these cases they are unfit for liberty.”

Source: On Liberty, Utilitarianism and Other Essays