“Do not be deceived by the way men of bad faith misuse words and names … Things are set up as contraries that are not even in the same category. Listen to me: the opposite of radical is superficial, the opposite of liberal is stingy; the opposite of conservative is destructive. Thus I will describe myself as a radical conservative liberal; but certain of the tainted red fish will swear that there can be no such fish as that. Beware of those who use words to mean their opposites. At the same time have pity on them, for usually this trick is their only stock in trade.” MenWayMeanUseCertainNamesRedOppositesTradeFishesConservativeContraryTricksPityRadicalDestructiveCategoriesSwearSuperficialDeceivedListen To MeMisuseTaintedStingyDescribe Myself Author:R. A. Lafferty
“The opposite of liberal is stingy. The opposite of radical is superficial. The opposite of conservative is destructive. So I declare that I am a radical conservative liberal. Beware of men who use words to mean their opposites.” MenMeanUseOppositesConservativeRadicalDestructiveSuperficialStingy Author:R. A. Lafferty
“By health I mean the power to live a full, adult, living, breathing life in close contact with what I love - the earth and the wonders thereof - the sea - the sun, all that we mean when we speak of the external world. I want to enter into it, to be part of it, to live in it, to learn from it, to lose all that is superficial and acquired in me and to become a conscious, direct human being. I want, by understanding myself, to understand others.” WorldWantHumansMeanEarthSpeakUnderstandingLosesHuman BeingsWonderSunSeaConsciousAdultsDirectContactBreathingSuperficialBreathing LifeUnderstanding Myself Book:Stories. Selected, Source: Stories. Selected,
“To think of education as a means of preserving institutions however excellent, is to have a superficial notion of its end and purpose, which is to mould and fashion men who are more than institutions, who create, outgrow, and re-create them.” ThinkingMenMeanEndsPurposeFashionInstitutionsNotionExcellentSuperficialMould Book:Aphorisms and Reflections: Conduct, Culture and Religion Source: Aphorisms and Reflections: Conduct, Culture and Religion
“The difference between [socialism and fascism] is superficial and purely formal, but it is significant psychologically: it brings the authoritarian nature of a planned economy crudely into the open. The main characteristic of socialism (and of communism) is public ownership of the means of production, and, therefore, the abolition of private property. The right to property is the right of use and disposal. Under fascism, men retain the semblance or pretense of private property, but the government holds total power over its use and disposal.” MenMeanUseGovernmentDifferencesPowerEconomyAuthorityEconomicsPropertyProductionsSignificantSocialismCommunismCharacteristicsOver ItFascismOwnershipFormalSuperficialPretensePrivate PropertyAbolitionSemblance Author:Ayn Rand