Dominating, The Mechanics of Virtue, aphorism 272

272


There is a difference between dominating by reason and abandoning reason in order to dominate.  This was easy.  But now we must learn that there is a difference between dominating by achieving the highest reasoning possible and dominating only the weakest thinkers – this latter being a “promotion” dependent upon self-deception: one limits the range of one’s vision in order to find oneself always the “victor.”  One bribes the intellect with the easier of available identities, as when the skeptic imagines his honesty only when debunking an idiot and does not first evaluate each of the pursuits honesty has made possible.

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