“Sincere thought, real free thought, ready, in the name of superhuman authority or of humble common sense, to question the basis of what is officially taught and generally accepted, is less and less likely to thrive. It is, we repeat, by far easier to enslave a literate people than an illiterate one, strange as this may seem at first sight. And the enslavement is more likely to be lasting.” PeopleFirstsMayRealSeemsNamesCommonTaughtStrangeReadyEasierAuthoritySightBasesHumbleAcceptedCommon SenseRepeatsThriveLastingSincereIlliterateEnslavementSuperhumanFree Thought Book:The Lightning and the Sun Source: The Lightning and the Sun
“Older boys often asked me to teach them “some bad words in your language”. At first I politely refused. My refusal merely increased their determination, so I solved the problem by teaching them phrases like 'man kharam' which means “I'm an idiot”. I told them that what I was teaching them was so nasty that they would have to promise never to repeat it to anyone. They would then spend all of recess running around yelling “I'm an idiot! I'm an idiot!”. I never told them the truth. I figured someday, somebody would” MenFirstsMeanProblemRunningLanguageBoysTeachTeachingPromiseDeterminationIdiotPhrasesRepeatsSomedayNastyRefusalYellingRecessBad Word Book:Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America Source: Funny in Farsi: A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America