"Among primitives sometimes evil is escaped by never mentioning the name, as in Malaysia, where one never mentions a tiger by name for fear of calling him. Among others, as even among ourselves, the giving of a name establishes a familiarity which renders the thing impotent. It is interesting to see how some scientists and philosophers, who are an emotional and fearful group, are able to protect themselves against fear. In a modern scene, when the horizons stretch out and your philosopher is likely to fall off the world like a Dark Age mariner, he can save himself by establishing a taboo-box which he may call "mysticism" or "supernaturalism" or "radicalism." Into this box he can throw all those thoughts which frighten him and thus be safe from them."
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Pulitzer Prize winnersNovelists from the United StatesShort story writers from the United StatesAgnostics from the United StatesPeople from California
Original Language: English
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Chapter 8
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/John_Steinbeck
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John Steinbeck
1902 – 1968
US-amerikanischer Schriftsteller
214 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by John Steinbeck →
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