Absolute truth Quote by Philip Pullman
““The ultimate source is probably the tendency in some of us, part of our psychological inheritance from our far-distant ancestors, the tendency to look for extreme solutions, absolute truths, abstract answers. All fanatics and fundamentalists share this tendency, which is so alien and unpleasing to the rest of us. The theory says they must do such-and-such, so they do it, never mind the human consequences, never mind the social cost, never mind the terrible damage to the fabric of everything decent and humane. I’m afraid these fundamentalists of one sort or another will always be with us. We just have to keep them as far away as possible from the levers of power.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Public talk, 2005
Humans inherit a drive for extreme, absolute ideas, leading some to become fanatics who ignore human and social costs.
In simple terms: People tend to seek extreme answers, causing harmful fanaticism.
Key Takeaway
Beware and limit extremist influence.
Themes
psychology
extremism
society
power
humanity
Mood
cautious
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
warning
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political leadership
- community decision making
- education policy
- media regulation
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
authoritarianism
social impact
Questions to Reflect On
- How do we balance open inquiry with safeguards?
- What mechanisms can prevent extremist ideas from reaching power?
A Different Perspective
Extremist ideas can arise from legitimate curiosity, not just pathology.
