a thousand discouragements of spirit
"We live in such a humourless age," Domenica remarked. "It used to be possible to laugh. It used to be possible to enjoy oneself with fantasies - such as your ridiculous hymn - sorry, Angus - but now? Well, now there are all sorts of censors and killjoys. Earnest, ignorant people who lecture us on what we can think and say. And do you know, we've lain down and submitted to the whole process. It's been the most remarkable display of passivity. With the result that when we encounter anybody who thinks independently, or who doesn't echo the received wisdoms of the day, we're astonished."
"In such a way is freedom of thought lost," said Angus Lordie, who had been listening very attentively to Domenica. "By small cuts. By small acts of disapproval. By a thousand discouragements of spirit."
from 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith - a remarkably fun and well-written book detailing the 'characters' of a certain street in Scotland and the people surrounding them - I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and am considering purchasing it (only 1 out of 50 books or so actually make it onto my shelf!).
"In such a way is freedom of thought lost," said Angus Lordie, who had been listening very attentively to Domenica. "By small cuts. By small acts of disapproval. By a thousand discouragements of spirit."
from 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith - a remarkably fun and well-written book detailing the 'characters' of a certain street in Scotland and the people surrounding them - I'm thoroughly enjoying it, and am considering purchasing it (only 1 out of 50 books or so actually make it onto my shelf!).