You see, many of the troubles going on in the world right now are being supervised by people with very good intentions whose attempts are to keep things in order, to clean things up, to forbid this, and to prevent that. The more we try to put everything to rights, the more we make fantastic messes. Maybe that is the way it has got to be. Maybe I should not say anything at all about the folly of trying to put things to right but simply, on the principle of Blake, let the fool persist in his folly so that he will become wise.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Well-intentioned efforts to control and order the world often create messes. Sometimes letting foolishness play out is the only way wisdom emerges.
- In plain terms
- Trying too hard to fix things makes things worse.
- What can you take from it?
- Avoid over-controlling outcomes.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Where do you try to control?
- What happens if you let go?
Another view
Some situations require immediate intervention.
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