Teach him to call it ‘real-life and don’t let him ask what…
““Teach him to call it ‘real-life and don’t let him ask what he means by ‘real’. (...) Never having been human (...) you don’t realise how enslaved they are to the pressure of the ordinary. (...) Thanks to processes we set at work in them centuries ago, they find it all but impossible to believe in the unfamiliar while the familiar is before their eyes. Keep pressing home on him the ordinariness of things. (...) But the best of all is to let him read no science but to give him a grand general idea that he knows it all and that everything he happens to have picked up in casual talk and reading is ‘the results of modern investigation’. Do remember you are there to fuddle him.””
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
The author advises teaching someone to accept reality without questioning, shaping them to accept ordinary life and modern knowledge without critical thought.
In simple terms: Encourages uncritical acceptance of the familiar and modern knowledge.
Key Takeaway
Beware indoctrination.
Themes
education
control
conformity
Mood
cautionary
reflective
Type
philosophical
critical
When to use this quote
- parenting
- mentorship
- media influence
- education systems
Key Concepts
critical thinking
authority
social pressure
Questions to Reflect On
- How does suppressing questioning affect growth?
- What are the risks of blind acceptance?
A Different Perspective
Overlooks the value of curiosity and dissent.