Students of the heavens are separable into astronomers and astrologers as readily as are the minor domestic ruminants into sheep and goats, but the separation of philosophers into sages and cranks seems to be more sensitive to frames of reference.

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About This Quote

This quote is given to us by the great thinker William James. The idea that cranks and sages are the same has always intrigued me. The difference between cranks and sages is that sages are able to recognize that they are cranks; they recognize their own fallibility. Cranks, on the other hand, don’t recognize this quality in themselves even when they are already aware of their superiority to everyone else. They think that there is no room for improvement because they already know everything.

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