“Scholars, who pride themselves on speaking their minds, often engage in a form of self-censorship which is called "realism." To be "realistic" in dealing with a problem is to work only among the alternatives which the most powerful in society put forth. It is as if we are all confined to a, b, c, or d in the multiple choice test, when we know there is another possible answer. American society, although it has more freedom of expression than most societies in the world, thus sets limits beyond which respectable people are not supposed to think or speak.” PeopleIfsThinkingKnowsWorldMindSelfProblemFormChoicesSpeakAnswersPowerfulExpressionPrideLimitsTestsAlternativesMost PowerfulRealisticCensorshipScholarRealismMultipleConfinedRespectableFreedom Of ExpressionAmerican SocietyMultiple ChoiceSelf Censorship Book:The Zinn Reader: Writings on Disobedience and Democracy Source: The Zinn Reader: Writings on Disobedience and Democracy
“Until recently baby production was largely dependent on slave labour; as soon as women are allowed to answer the question "Would you like to squeeze as many objects the size of a watermelon out of your body as it takes to kill you?" they generally answer "No, thank you." This leads to falling birthrates everywhere women are not kept enslaved and ignorant of the alternatives.” BodyFallAnswersObjectsBabySlaveSizeProductionsYour BodyIgnorantAlternativesDependentLabourSlave Labour Author:James Nicoll
“Why am I an atheist? The short answer is that I cannot accept any of the alternatives. I simply don't find them believable.” AnswersAcceptingAtheismAtheistPositive AtheismAlternativesBelievable Author:Barbara Smoker
“Even when alternative views are clearly wrong, being exposed to them still expands our creative potential. In a way, the power of dissent is the power of surprise. After hearing someone shout out an errant answer, we work to understand it, which causes us to reassess our initial assumptions and try out new perspectives. “Authentic dissent can be difficult, but it’s always invigorating,” Nemeth says. “It wakes us right up.”” WayTryingStillsCausesDifficultAnswersViewsCreativePsychologyPerspectiveSurpriseUniversityHearingAlternativesCaliforniaAssumptionProfessorsExposedInitialsDissentNew PerspectiveBerkeleyInvigoratingShout Out Author:Jonah Lehrer
“The technologies for the alternative energy sources exists today. The economics are compelling. The public health is compelling. Why would we maintain a focus on a 17th-century technology, when there are 21st-century alternatives that are both necessary and available? And the answer is the subversion of democracy.” TodayEnergyAnswersTechnologyDemocracyFocusCenturySourceEconomicsAvailableAlternativesCompelling21st CenturyPublic HealthEnergy SourcesSubversion17th CenturyAlternative Energy Author:Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
“When people come to Yoga, they are perhaps coming to it at the end of a long series of alternatives, and they're looking for something that's going to act very quickly. But Yoga is not a quick answer.” PeopleLongEndsAnswersYogaSeriesAlternatives Author:Paul Harvey
“I spent the first few years of my life in a smallish community in Queens. Back in those early days, kids could roam the streets with relatively little supervision and one place I visited frequently was the local library. This particular branch was little more than a storefront but to me it was an alternative universe where I could explore my interests and receive kind, informative answers to my questions from the wonderful librarians.” YearsFirstsKindLittlesKidsUniverseInterestCommunityAnswersWonderfulStreetsParticularLibraryLocalsAlternativesQueensBranchesLibrarianSupervisionInformative Author:Jonathan Kellerman
“Fabricating answers to unanswerable questions is the domain of religion. A deity model is not the default alternative to a scientific mystery.” AnswersMysteryModelsAlternativesDomainDeitiesDefault Author:Graham Kendall