“Re-examine all that you have been told… dismiss that which insults your soul.” Walt Whitman
When is text more than text? I first read this quote almost 20 years ago and it is still with me. It still resonates with me. It’s more than a quote, it’s more than text, it’s more than skilled writing. It is a truth. It’s interesting how some text can become ‘larger than life’.
Cindy,
This is a great quote of Whitman’s. I really like it and, on the surface, find it quite calming.
I’m tempted though not to dismiss but examine and question that which seems insulting to the soul, as these are often issues that do not go away and if we in fact find them inherently insulting based on some innate moral code, we need to be able to identify why and defend our position.
I love your explanation for choosing this text as well. It brings to mind for me a quote that I first heard roughly nine years ago that has also stayed with me: “How can I know what I think ’til I see what I say” ~ E. M. Forster
Likewise, I connect this quote as some sort of epitome of text, highlighting the importance of text as not only our (the literate world’s) own kind of mnemonic device, but as a revealer of our thoughts in the first place.
Vicki
I like your quote from Whitman. Examining it in more detail bring some really thought provoking ideas. It reminds us to question and have a focus of inquiry when presented with ideas and those that do not fit our inner belief system are not entertained.
Leslie