It is safer to try to understand the low in the light of the high than the high in the light of the low. In doing the latter one necessarily distorts the high, whereas in doing the former one does not deprive the low of the freedom to reveal itself as fully as what it is.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- It is better to understand low things by high standards than to judge high things by low standards, as the latter distorts the high.
- In plain terms
- Understand small things by big ideals, not big ideals by small things.
- What can you take from it?
- Higher standards clarify reality without distortion.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How should we evaluate ideals?
- What distorts our understanding of greatness?
Another view
It presumes a fixed hierarchy of what is high or low.
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[W]e believe that failing to call a spade a spade is not scientific.
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