On the record
The fancy of the mass of men is incredibly weak; it can see nothing without a visible symbol, and there is much that it can scarcely make out with a symbol.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgEditor's note · Context
Bagehot reflects on the limitations of the general public's understanding and perception of complex ideas.
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More from Walter Bagehot
But as soon as the House met, Lord Thurlow became the greatest.
The moderate people of every party must combine to support the Government which, on the whole, suits every party best.
He gave an excellent moral example to his contemporaries, but he is an instance of those whose good dies with them, while their evil lives after them.
One of the greatest pains to human nature is the pain of a new idea.
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