--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With Derrida, you can hardly misread him…" description: "\"“With Derrida, you can hardly misread him, because he’s so obscure. Every time you say, \"He says so and so,\" he always says, \"You misunderstood me.\" Bu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/john-r-searle-82459_derrida_with-derrida-you-can-hardly-misread-him_2550256.jpg" --- # With Derrida, you can hardly misread him, because he’s so… ![“With Derrida, you can hardly misread him, because he’s so obscure. Every time you say, "He says so and so," he always says, "You misunderstood me." But if you try to figure out the correct interpretation, then that’s not so easy. I once said this to Michel Foucault, who was more hostile to Derrida…” quote by John R. Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/john-r-searle-82459_derrida_with-derrida-you-can-hardly-misread-him_2550256.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/john-r-searle-82459_derrida_with-derrida-you-can-hardly-misread-him_2550256.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75b/john-r-searle-82459_derrida_with-derrida-you-can-hardly-misread-him_2550256.jpg) > ““With Derrida, you can hardly misread him, because he’s so obscure. Every time you say, "He says so and so," he always says, "You misunderstood me." But if you try to figure out the correct interpretation, then that’s not so easy. I once said this to Michel Foucault, who was more hostile to Derrida even than I am, and Foucault said that Derrida practiced the method of obscurantisme terroriste (terrorism of obscurantism). We were speaking French. And I said, "What the hell do you mean by that?" And he said, "He writes so obscurely you can’t tell what he’s saying, that’s the obscurantism part, and then when you criticize him, he can always say, 'You didn’t understand me; you’re an idiot.' That’s the terrorism part." And I like that. So I wrote an article about Derrida. I asked Michel if it was OK if I quoted that passage, and he said yes.”” [John R. Searle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-r-searle/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote highlights how Derrida’s dense style invites accusations of intentional obscurity, making criticism easy to deflect. **In simple terms:** Obscure writing lets authors claim misunderstanding. Key Takeaway Beware of using complexity to avoid accountability. Themes philosophy communication power dynamics Mood skeptical critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic debates - literary criticism - teaching philosophy Key Concepts obscurantism interpretation authorial intent Questions to Reflect On - How does complexity affect genuine understanding? - When is opacity justified? A Different Perspective Obscurity can be a rhetorical shield, not a virtue. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Article Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/article-derrida-1514748/) [Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/derrida/) [Derrida Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/derrida-asked-1514745/) [Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foucault/) [Michel Foucault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michel-foucault/) [Obscurantism Speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obscurantism-speaking-1514749/) [Said Derrida](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/said-derrida-1514746/) [Saying Obscurantism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saying-obscurantism-1514747/) ## Related quotes > [“What has become of critique when someone as eminent as Stanley Fish, the “enemy of promises” as Lindsay Waters calls him, believes he defends…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruno-latour/what-has-become-of-critique-when-someone-as-eminent-as-stanley-fish/) [Bruno Latour](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruno-latour/) > [“This left, which strangely echoes a libertarian and even neoliberal ethic of ant-statism, is nurtured intellectually by thinkers such as Michel Foucault and all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harvey/this-left-which-strangely-echoes-a-libertarian-and-even-neoliberal/) [David Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harvey/) > [It's time for a recovery and reassessment of North American thinkers. 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