SPUG: Emerson (was Re: Advice on sub return-code policies?
John Costello
cos at indeterminate.net
Thu Oct 5 11:51:31 PDT 2006
On Thu, 5 Oct 2006, Michael R. Wolf wrote:
> A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.
> -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
>
> Emerson does not explain the difference between foolish consistency and wise
> consistency. Nor could we. That's the balance between art and science that
> we balance every day in our code.
>
> Many folks have never heard the "A foolish" part of this quote, so they
> consider all consistency to be evil.
But he did give a hint to his meaning in the full sentence. The part
above is only the first clause; the second clause often is dropped.
A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.
My interpretation is that he was arguing against close-mindedness and
impracticality.
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