#eduction

A monk should surely love his books with humility, wishing their good and not the glory of his own curiosity; but what the temptation of adultery is for laymen and the yearning for riches is for secular ecclesiastics, the seduction of knowledge is for monks. ↗

— Umberto Eco

#curiosity #knowledge #seduction #vice #love

I would simply ask why so many critics, so many writers, so many philosophers take such satisfaction in professing that the experience of a work of art is ineffable, that it escapes by definition all rational understanding; why are they so eager to concede without a struggle the defeat of knowledge; and where does their irrepressible need to belittle rational understanding come from, this rage to affirm the irreducibility of the work of art, or, to use a more suitable word, its transcendence. ↗

— Pierre Bourdieu

#rationalism #reductionism #transcendence #art

Jenny’s admonition had the desired effect. Ned drew a deep breath and thrust his arm gingerly into the bag, his mouth puckered in distaste. The expression on his face flickered from queasy horror to confusion. From there, it flew headlong into outright bafflement. Shaking his head, he pulled his fist from the bag and turned his hand palm up. For a long moment, the two men stared at the offending lump. It was brightly colored. It was round. It was— “An orange?” Lord Blakely rubbed his forehead. “Not quite what I expected.” He scribbled another notation. “We live in enlightened times,” Jenny murmured. ↗

— Courtney Milan

#jenny #ned #orange #proof-by-seduction #men

Sam: “You—you greatly overestimate my self-control.” Grace: “I’m not looking for self-control. ↗

— Maggie Stiefvater

#grace-brisbane #sam-roth #seduction #self-control #grace

But the debt limit obviously is something that needs to and will be passed. That is not inconsistent with a process and a belief that we have to get significant deficit reduction. ↗

— David Plouffe

#debt #debt limit #deficit #deficit reduction #get

I believe that we should allow younger workers to contribute toward a personal account that they own, as long as it is coupled with deficit reduction measures that enhance the long-term condition of Social Security. ↗

— Cliff Stearns

#allow #believe #condition #contribute #coupled

And now, without having wearied my friends, I hope, with detailed scientific accounts, theories, or deductions, I will only say that I have endeavoured to tell just the story of the adventure itself. ↗

— Joshua Slocum

#adventure #deductions #detailed #endeavoured #friends

The precise point at which a tax deduction becomes a 'loophole' or a tax incentive becomes a 'subsidy for special interests' is one of the great mysteries of politics. ↗

— John Sununu

#deduction #great #incentive #interests #loophole

Seduction is an art that is tested in the mirror ↗

— Miguel Ángel Sáez Gutiérrez

#romaticism #seduction #art

You want sensitive and understanding, stick with the therapist.You want great, headbanging sex, get off the fucking phone and come with me. ↗

— Jennifer Crusie

#seduction #humor