No, by God, it is false! It wasn't a minuet that we stepped; it was a prison - a prison full of screaming hysterics, tied down so that they might not outsound the rolling of our carriage wheels as we went along the shaded avenues of the Taunus Wald. And yet I swear by the sacred name of my creator that it was true. It was true sunshine; the true music; the true splash of the fountains from the mouth of stone dolphins. For, if for me we were four people with the same tastes, with the same desires, acting - or, no, not acting - sitting here and there unanimously, isn't that the truth? If for nine years I have possessed a goodly apple that is rotten at the core and discover its rottenness only in nine years and six months less four days, isn't it true to say that for nine years I possessed a goodly apple?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Reality is subjective; truth persists even if it is flawed or discovered late.
- In plain terms
- Even a rotten apple is truly considered good for as long as you think it is.
- What can you take from it?
- Perception of truth often overrides objective reality in personal experience.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Is truth what we believe?
- Can you own a mistake?
Another view
This rationalization can prevent learning from mistakes.
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