The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market place of ideas — complicated, unsatisfying, full of dilemmas, always vulnerable to misinterpretation and abuse.

George F. Kennan
The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market...
The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market...
The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market...
The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market...
About This Quote

When you’re stuck in one of life’s ruts, the truth is often just too hard to keep up with. You can’t retell it as easily as a salesman or a politician. In the end, the truth may need a little help, especially when it comes to how to deal with something as complex as life. Take for instance the question of whether to trust your gut or listen to your head.

It is a tricky situation. The reason is that our feelings and our thoughts can be at odds with one another. For example, if we think we see a car about to make a sharp turn onto a highway but our heart tells us not to go there, it might be best for us to listen to our head and take the road that seems safer.

However, if we ignore our heart and go anyway, we might regret it later when we see that that place was really dangerous. In other words, listening to one part of ourselves may lead us astray from another part of ourselves.

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  1. The truth is sometimes a poor competitor in the market place of ideas — complicated, unsatisfying, full of dilemmas, always vulnerable to misinterpretation and abuse.

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