Als Quote by Tariq Ali
“Dear old al-Maarri was a great skeptic poet. He wrote a parody of the Koran, and his friends would tease him and say, "al-Maarri, but no one says your Koran." And he said, "Yes, but give me time. Give me time. If people recite it for twenty years it will become as popular as the other one."”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Discussing al‑Maarri, 2022
A skeptical poet predicts that repeated exposure will make a controversial work as accepted as mainstream texts.
In simple terms: Repetition can normalize ideas.
Key Takeaway
Promote repeated exposure.
Themes
culture
skepticism
influence
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
philosophical
observational
When to use this quote
- media campaigns
- education curricula
- public discourse
- literary criticism
- social media trends
Key Concepts
memetics
social acceptance
propaganda
Questions to Reflect On
- How does repeated exposure shape belief?
- When is repetition ethical?
A Different Perspective
Normalization may also entrench falsehoods.
![“However often we turn to it [the Koran] at first disgusting us each time afresh, it soon attracts, astounds, and in the end enforces our reverence. . . . Its style, in accordance with its contents and aim is stern, grand, terrible - ever and anon truly sublime - Thus this book will go on…” quote by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/75c/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe-36_age_however-often-we-turn-to-it-the-koran-at_1995602.jpg)
![“The heart becomes sick, as the body becomes sick, and its remedy is al-Tawbah (repentance) and protection [from transgression]. It becomes rusty as a mirror becomes rusty, and its clarity is obtained by remembrance. It becomes naked as the body becomes naked, and its beautification is al-Taqwa. It…” quote by Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/454/ibn-qayyim-al-jawziyya-10803_als_the-heart-becomes-sick-as-the-body-becom_66500.jpg)
