Henry’s Quote of the Day: Minds Resolutely Closed

 

The following is what I wrote down from the interview of John M. Ellis:

Late eighties a colleague in my department warning me the admissions committee for graduate students have been taken over -completely taken over- by political radicals and that I could expect the incoming graduate student class to be of a different character.

And I remember saying to him. I really don’t care students are students if they have opinions, that’s fine. I’d rather they have opinions than have them be asleep at the back of the class. And that’s the, that’s the answer I gave consistently throughout my career.

I soon learned that that answer was not enough for the situation I was facing.

Because I faced a group of people whose minds were resolutely closed.

And who were really rather an un pleasant presence to be in.

I mean this was just a very different experience when you have people who are impervious to rational argument. Who only have radical politics on their lines, do not wish them anything questioned, do not wish to have anyone say to them, let’s actually look at those opinions of yours and think about the strengths and weaknesses and think about alternatives and just see how coherent they are. When you have kids who just stare at you with a blank face and just say, No.

That phrase: Minds resolutely closed is glorious.

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Henry Castaigne: Minds’ resolutely closed is glorious. 

    Except when one is facing it.

    • #1
  2. Richard Fulmer Inactive
    Richard Fulmer
    @RichardFulmer

    Henry Castaigne:

    Because I faced a group of people whose minds were resolutely closed.

    And who were really rather an un pleasant presence to be in.

    Strangely, many corporations have embraced these toxic, close-minded, unpleasant people, and have put them in charge of their personnel departments.  Will the hosts reject this alien infection before they succumb?

    • #2
  3. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne: Minds’ resolutely closed is glorious.

    Except when one is facing it.

    I think Henry meant just that the phrase is glorious, not the thing the phrase refers to, which is horrible.  In other words, the term describes gloriously well what it refers to.

    • #3
  4. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Mark Camp (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne: Minds’ resolutely closed is glorious.

    Except when one is facing it.

    I think Henry meant just that the phrase is glorious, not the thing the phrase refers to, which is horrible. In other words, the term describes gloriously well what it refers to.

    Yes, Mark. I know.

    • #4
  5. Mark Camp Member
    Mark Camp
    @MarkCamp

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Mark Camp (View Comment):

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne: Minds’ resolutely closed is glorious.

    Except when one is facing it.

    I think Henry meant just that the phrase is glorious, not the thing the phrase refers to, which is horrible. In other words, the term describes gloriously well what it refers to.

    Yes, Mark. I know.

    Yeah, I thought you must, but I didn’t catch the irony in your voice from so far away.

    • #5
  6. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Richard Fulmer (View Comment):

    Henry Castaigne:

    Because I faced a group of people whose minds were resolutely closed.

    And who were really rather an un pleasant presence to be in.

    Strangely, many corporations have embraced these toxic, close-minded, unpleasant people, and have put them in charge of their personnel departments. Will the hosts reject this alien infection before they succumb?

    The infection is no longer alien. Conservatives are now treated like they’re an alien infection.

    • #6
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