Timeo Hominem Unius Libri
Last night in the bathroom of the Plaza at a concert for British Sea Power, a lovely band from Brighton, I noticed that the guy washing his hands next to me had a tattoo poking out from underneath the wristband of his jacket. It was a word.
I asked him what his tattoo said. He pulled up his sleeve. There in Helvetica from his wrist to the crook of his elbow, it said:
Timeo Hominem Unius Libri
Which, translated from the Latin, means ‘I fear the man of one book.’
Personally, I think this is one of the most profound things I have heard in at least a few months.
Fear the person that has a fanatical devotion to one book. It can be an obvious dig at religion but also at the people that enforce the law. Any blind adherence to a dogma or a list.
I also took it to mean, ‘fear the man that has only ever read one book. Like ever. Regardless of its content.’ because he is stupid, easily swayed, and will kill you without realizing the deeper or future implications or the act if he is angered or pushed.
I also took it to mean, ‘fear the man that has only ever written one book’ because that one single accomplishment will be all that person talks about, an excuse for never doing anything else, a reason for living in the past, and a cross to bear. That person will not be a person of Flow.
In Farenheit 451, one of the characters goes near-schizophrenic from reading too much. All of the differing and contradictory opinions put forth in the forbidden books that he’s had the chance to peruse before burning have jumbled up in his head until he begs for death. The complexity of many voices is a death knell for his consciousness rather than pleasant distraction or healthy debate.
In reading up on the saying, I found it used in a church sermon. It proclaimed that the bible is made up of many different testaments and scriptures, thereby making it many books. I think that this is irony.
Another irony is that Saint Thomas Aquinas, the man credited with uttering the phrase, was for several centuries considered the highest authority in theology. Experts that published after him merely parroted what he said, making many books on the subject nearly identical. Not a situation that Thomas would have been happy with.
Most people take it to mean something along the lines of ‘get a second opinion’. Some twist it to support ‘believe none of what you hear and half of what you read’.
There's so much in it. Fear the stupid. Expand your mind. Beware of simple solutions.
I think I’ll just take it to mean ‘read lots’.
tags
I asked him what his tattoo said. He pulled up his sleeve. There in Helvetica from his wrist to the crook of his elbow, it said:
Timeo Hominem Unius Libri
Which, translated from the Latin, means ‘I fear the man of one book.’
Personally, I think this is one of the most profound things I have heard in at least a few months.
Fear the person that has a fanatical devotion to one book. It can be an obvious dig at religion but also at the people that enforce the law. Any blind adherence to a dogma or a list.
I also took it to mean, ‘fear the man that has only ever read one book. Like ever. Regardless of its content.’ because he is stupid, easily swayed, and will kill you without realizing the deeper or future implications or the act if he is angered or pushed.
I also took it to mean, ‘fear the man that has only ever written one book’ because that one single accomplishment will be all that person talks about, an excuse for never doing anything else, a reason for living in the past, and a cross to bear. That person will not be a person of Flow.
In Farenheit 451, one of the characters goes near-schizophrenic from reading too much. All of the differing and contradictory opinions put forth in the forbidden books that he’s had the chance to peruse before burning have jumbled up in his head until he begs for death. The complexity of many voices is a death knell for his consciousness rather than pleasant distraction or healthy debate.
In reading up on the saying, I found it used in a church sermon. It proclaimed that the bible is made up of many different testaments and scriptures, thereby making it many books. I think that this is irony.
Another irony is that Saint Thomas Aquinas, the man credited with uttering the phrase, was for several centuries considered the highest authority in theology. Experts that published after him merely parroted what he said, making many books on the subject nearly identical. Not a situation that Thomas would have been happy with.
Most people take it to mean something along the lines of ‘get a second opinion’. Some twist it to support ‘believe none of what you hear and half of what you read’.
There's so much in it. Fear the stupid. Expand your mind. Beware of simple solutions.
I think I’ll just take it to mean ‘read lots’.
tags