Most of us will be eclectics to this side or that according to our temperament. The human mind is not a dignified organ, and I do not see how we can exercise it sincerely except through eclecticism. And the only advice I would offer my fellow eclectics is: 'Do not be proud of your inconsistency. It is a pity, it is a pity that we should be equipped like this. It is a pity that Man cannot be at the same time impressive and truthful.'
More from E. M. Forster
How can I tell what I think till I see what I say?
Permalink to quote #20 If human nature does alter it will be because individuals manage to look at themselves in a new way. Here and there people - a very few people, but a few novel…
Permalink to quote #22 A man does not talk to himself quite truly - not even to himself: the happiness or misery that he secretly feels proceeds from causes that he cannot quite expl…
Permalink to quote #19