Life Quote by Max Weber
““...the ultimately possible attitudes toward life are irreconcilable, and hence their struggle can never be brought to a final conclusion. Thus it is necessary to make a decisive choice. Whether, under such conditions, science is a worth while 'vocation' for somebody, and whether science itself has an objectively valuable 'vocation' are again value judgments about which nothing can be said in the lecture-room. To affirm the value of science is a presupposition for teaching there. I personally by my very work answer in the affirmative, and I also do so from precisely the standpoint that hates intellectualism as the worst devil, as youth does today, or usually only fancies it does. In that case the word holds for these youths: 'Mind you, the devil is old; grow old to understand him.' This does not mean age in the sense of the birth certificate. It means that if one wishes to settle with this devil, one must not take flight before him as so many like to do nowadays. First of all, one has to see the devil's ways to the end in order to realize his power and his limitations.””
About This Quote
Source Lecture: Sociology of Knowledge, 1918
The passage argues that life’s ultimate attitudes are mutually exclusive, forcing a decisive choice; it critiques intellectualism and urges confronting the devil of youth’s arrogance to understand its limits.
In simple terms: Life forces a choice; confront arrogance to learn limits.
Choose a stance, confront challenges directly.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- academic debate
- personal development
- education reform
- career decisions
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you decide which attitude to adopt?
- What does confronting the 'devil' reveal about your limits?
The argument may overgeneralize youth and ignore collaborative possibilities.