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About this quote

What does it mean?
Whitehead complains about being quoted out of context, which distorts or destroys his intended meaning.
In plain terms
Quotes taken out of context often change or ruin the original meaning.
What can you take from it?
Always consider context when quoting others.

Where it applies

  • academic writing
  • journalism
  • social media

Putting it to work

  • verify sources
  • read full text
  • check context

Questions to consider

  • Have you ever been quoted wrongly?
  • How do you verify a quote?

Another view

Sometimes short quotes capture an essence even without full context.

More from Alfred North Whitehead

  1. Dogmatic common sense is the death of philosophic adventure. The universe is vast.

    Permalink to quote #67
  2. In a certain sense, everything is everywhere at all times. For every location involves an aspect of itself in every other location. Thus every spatio-temporal …

    Permalink to quote #69
  3. Common sense is genius in homespun.

    Permalink to quote #66

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