At times it may be necessary temporarily to accept a lesser evil, but one must never label a necessary evil as good.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Pragmatism requires accepting less bad options without pretending they are good.
- In plain terms
- Accept necessary bad choices but don't call them good.
- What can you take from it?
- Do not mask compromises as virtues.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When is compromise necessary?
- How do you judge necessary evils?
Another view
Sometimes labels are blurred in practice.
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