“There's an appeal to the American sense of exceptionalism, that we're morally superior, as way to not be self-critical. I think that's a bit dangerous.” ThinkingWaySelfBitsDangerousCriticalSuperiorsAppealsExceptionalism Author:Al Franken
“It is a little bit humiliating when I have to say that Chou En-lai to me appears as the most superior brain I have so far met in the field of foreign politics... so much more dangerous than you imagine because he is so much better a man than you have ever admitted.” MenLittlesBitsBrainImagineDangerousFieldsMetsLittle BitSuperiorsHumiliating Author:Dag Hammarskjold
“I think that the desire to be cruel and to hurt (with words because any other way might be dangerous to ourself) is part of human nature. Parties are battles (most parties), a conversation is a duel (often). Everybody's trying to hurt first, to get in the dig that will make him or her feel superior, feel triumph.” ThinkingWayFeelsTryingFirstsHumansMightDesireHurtPartyDangerousHuman NatureBattleConversationSuperiorsTriumphUnkindness Book:The letters of Jean Rhys Source: The letters of Jean Rhys
“It is dangerous to tell the people that the laws are unjust; for they obey them only because they think them just. Therefore it isnecessary to tell them at the same time that they must obey them because they are laws, just as they must obey superiors, not because they are just, but because they are superiors. In this way all sedition is prevented.” PeopleThinkingWayLawJusticeDangerousSuperiorsUnjust Book:Pascal selections Source: Pascal selections
“But the 20th century suffered "two" ideologies that led to genocides. The other one, Marxism, had no use for race, didn't believe in genes and denied that human nature was a meaningful concept. Clearly, it's not an emphasis on genes or evolution that is dangerous. It's the desire to remake humanity by coercive means (eugenics or social engineering) and the belief that humanity advances through a struggle in which superior groups (race or classes) triumph over inferior ones.” BelieveHumansMeanTwoUseDesireHumanityBeliefSocialRaceClassStruggleGroupsCenturyDangerousHuman NatureEvolutionConceptsMeaningfulSuperiorsIdeologyTriumphGenocideDeniedGenesEngineeringInferiors20th CenturyEmphasisMarxismEugenicsRemakesSocial Engineering Author:Steven Pinker