"A bad book is the worse that it cannot repent. It has not been the devil's policy to keep the masses of mankind in ignorance; but finding that they will read, he is doing all in his power to poison their books."

Literature

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Literature as articulated by John Kenneth Galbraith. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Literature provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About John Kenneth Galbraith

John Kenneth Galbraith, also known as J. K. Galbraith or Ken Galbraith, was a Canadian-American economist, diplomat, public official, and intellectual. His books on economic topics were bestsellers from the 1950s through the 2000s. As an economist, he leaned toward post-Keynesian economics from an institutionalist perspective. He served as the deputy director of the powerful Office of Price Administration (OPA) during World War II in charge of stabilizing all prices, wages and rents in the American economy, to combat the threat of inflation and hoarding during a time of shortages and rationing, a task which was successfully accomplished.

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More by John Kenneth Galbraith

"We all agree that pessimism is a mark of superior intellect."

— John Kenneth Galbraith
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"Nothing is so admirable in politics as a short memory."

— John Kenneth Galbraith
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"Power is not something that can be assumed or discarded at will like underwear."

— John Kenneth Galbraith
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"There is something wonderful in seeing a wrong-headed majority assailed by truth."

— John Kenneth Galbraith
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More about Literature

"Language... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."

— Paul Tillich
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"It's much easier to wear a Chairman Mao button and shake your fists in the air and all that, then to actually read the Communist manifesto and things like that and actually become involved in politics."

— Lester Bangs
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"Every time I write something, I think, this is the most offensive thing I will ever write. But no. I always surprise myself."

— Chuck Palahniuk
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"Whenever somebody says they need an angle for their story I always fear that they've got an idea and they want me to fit into it or they want me to come up with an idea myself or I'm supposed to be more revealing than I've been, and to me it just sounds like something I don't want to do."

— David Duchovny
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