Quote of the Day (4/25/11)

Men maintain [the] illusion of emotionless (which we might call the Vulcan Illusion, after Mr. Spock) with the aid of language and technology. When we examine their content, for example, foreign-policy paper—so imposingly "rational" on the surface—all reduce to something like: "If I can't play in your sandbox, you can't play in mine!" or "You hit me first!" And are we sending purely technical messages with our roaring motors, shrieking tires, and rasping appliances. Would we have to impress each other so noisily with our machines if we didn't feel small and weren't ashamed to admit it? Could nuclear weapons have been developed without the emotional fuel of despair and self hatred?
--Philip Slater