Contraries Quote by Peter Elbow
““I've come to suspect that whenever any ability is difficult to learn and rarely performed well, it's probably because contraries are called for - patting the head and rubbing the belly. Thus, good writing is hard because it means trying to be creative and critical; good teaching is hard because it means trying to be ally and adversary of students; good evaluation is hard because it means trying to be subjective and objective; good intelligence is rare because it means trying to be intuitive and logical.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Writing Without Teachers, Peter Elbow, 1973
Balancing opposing forces—creativity with critique, support with challenge—makes writing, teaching, evaluation, and intelligence difficult but valuable.
In simple terms: Hard work needs opposing skills together.
Key Takeaway
Embrace both sides of each task.
Themes
creativity
critique
support
challenge
balance
Mood
reflective
analytical
inspirational
Type
philosophical
educational
motivational
When to use this quote
- writing workshops
- classroom teaching
- performance reviews
- problem solving
- decision making
Key Concepts
dualism
cognitive tension
pedagogy
assessment
intelligence
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you practice both intuition and logic daily?
- What methods help you hold opposing viewpoints?
A Different Perspective
Focusing on one side can lead to bias or stagnation.
