As usual, I'm overstating the case to knock a few neurons loose, but the truth is usually somewhere in the muddle, uh, middle.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker exaggerates to provoke thought, noting truth often lies in the middle of confusion.
- In plain terms
- They overstate to spark ideas, saying truth is usually in the muddle's middle.
- What can you take from it?
- Embrace ambiguity; the middle often holds truth.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can we identify the 'middle' in complex issues?
- When is exaggeration helpful?
Another view
Exaggeration can mislead if not recognized as a rhetorical device.
More from Larry Wall
If someone stinks, view it as a reason to help them, not a reason to avoid them.
Permalink to quote #66 Odd that we think definitions are definitive. :-)
Permalink to quote #68 The whole history of computers is rampant with cheerleading at best and bigotry at worst.
Permalink to quote #65
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The continuum in which we live is not the kind of place in which middles can be unambiguously excluded.
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