[stevenAthompson]

"We do our peers, countrymen, students, and children a grave disservice by admonishing them to think for themselves without also giving them the critical thinking tools to do so, for in so doing we foster a culture where "independent thought" is equated with "contrarian thought". This gives rise to an anti-intellectual, anti-science paradigm that supports an idea not because it meets a basic standard of evidence, but rather simply because it opposes established thought. This is worse than the intellectual calcification that stagnant "herd thinking" would give rise to, because it doesn't simply halt progress — it puts it in full retreat."

[frosted-flakes]

Excellent statement, but who is the "great man" who once said this?

[stevenAthompson]

To tell the truth, I don't remember. I've kept a "quotes.txt" file for the last two or three decades where I paste in anything I feel is worth remembering. It's been in there as long as I can remember, but I apparently didn't bother with a proper attribution.

I want to guess Oliver Wendell Holmes for some reason, but it doesn't read like something he said. Sorry I can't be more helpful.

[nobody9999]

I don't know who said the above, but the following is from Isaac Asimov:

"Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'"[0]

[0] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/84250-anti-intellectualism-...

[nobody9999]

And I'd add that as Peter Medawar correctly pointed out[0][1]:

"The USA is so enormous, and so numerous are its schools, colleges and religious seminaries, many devoted to special religious beliefs ranging from the unorthodox to the dotty, that we can hardly wonder at its yielding a more bounteous harvest of gobbledygook than the rest of the world put together."

[0] https://www.azquotes.com/quote/1064507

[1] As a middle-aged American who's lived their whole life in the US, this quote is spot on.

[GregDavidson]

Important quote! Citation?

[j16sdiz]

stevenAthompson from HN.