2009-01-30

walking

To oppose something is to maintain it.
They say here "all roads lead to Mishnory." To be sure, if you turn your back on Mishnory and walk away from it, you are still on the Mishnory road. To oppose vulgarity is inevitably to be vulgar. You must go somewhere else; you must have another goal; then you walk another road.

This is from my favourite book, "The Left Hand of Darkness". I agree with it, at least in the context that it is used. I want to take the metaphor a little further though, and certainly out of context. If you turn around and walk far away, then eventually the roads merge (or fork, depending which way you are walking) and you are on a road that leads to multiple places and so you are no longer on the Mishnory road. Also, if you had a specific aim, like asking a question to foretellers, whether you are walking towards the Mishnory or away from it makes some difference -- at least for the foretellers, not necessarily for you.