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Is 'the most dangerous man in the world' behind the Mumbai attacks? On page 3, Freddoso reproduces a quotation from Askia in the Tribune article:
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I'm looking for the correct quotation for this paraphrased quote:
"The most dangerous man in the world is the man who is absolutely sure
that he is right."
This isn't the correct quote, but does give the sense of quotation.
I'd like to have the correct quotation, and where it came from.
Thanks,
J.
>> "If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much
as to be out of danger?"
No, that's not it. The quote I'm looking for deals more with
fanaticism -- someone who, despite any evidence, despite any counter
opinion, is absolutely and fanatically sure they are right.
Could it be this quote...?
"If a little knowledge is dangerous, where is the man who has so much
as to be out of danger?" CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive ::
a man with his finger on THE BUTTON, he would be the most dangerous man in the world. .. Source: Obama to meet with economic team on stimulus plan
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/08/17/schneider-a-great-debate-without-the-debate/HOME |
I think this might be the one...
"The most dangerous man in the world is the contemplative who is
guided by nobody. He trusts his own visions. He obeys the attractions
of an interior voice but will not listen to other men. (..)"
This is the closest one I found.
"Only the madman is absolutely sure."
by Robert Anton Wilson
from www.quotationspage.com
There might be more. Might be find in the Bible something similar.
-Adi
I suspect that you might be remembering a paraphrase of Socrates's
view about ignorance of one's own ignorance. Here is the relevant
excerpt from Plato's Dialogue, "Alcibiades I":
"SOCRATES. So who are the ones making mistakes?
For they are not the ones who know.
"ALCIBIADES. Of course not.
"SO. And since it is neither the ones who know
nor the ones who do not know
knowing that they have not known it,
are the others left the ones who do not know,
but think they know?
"ALC. None, but these.
"SO. Then this ignorance is a cause of evils
and the shameful kind of stupidity?
"ALC. Yes.
"SO. Thus when it is about the greatest things,
then it is most harmful and shameful?
"ALC. By far."
Sanderson Beck: Plato's Alcibiades
http://www.san.beck.org/Alcibiades.html
Here is the way University of Toronto philosophy professor D.S.
Hutchnson pithily describes Socrates's view of ignorance:
"Remember what Socrates has said about ignorance. The most dangerous
person is the one that thinks they know things they do not know."
U. of Toronto: History of Western Philosphy
http://www.chass.utoronto.ca/~phl102y/nq9-24.html
No, that's not it.
The quote I'm thinking of has a lot more to do with unrecognized
fanaticism, at least from the "dangerous man's" point of view. From
his point of view, he's perfectly reasonable, and doing the "right",
maybe even "principled" thing. But from an external point of view,
it's clear that he is misguided, and probably dangerously so (to the
rest of us).
On closer reading, your quote is close to the right sense of what I
was looking for, but it's not the quote I was looking for.
J.
Please see my second comment below and let me know if you think this
is the quote. I will be happy to post an answer if it is.
Jackburton
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Source of the quotation: "The most dangerous man in the world..."