Retraction

But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Why drag about this corpse of your memory, lest you contradict somewhat you have stated in this or that public place?  Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then?  It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone, scarcely even in acts of pure memory, but to bring the past for judgment into the thousand-eyed present, and live ever in a new day. In your metaphysics you have denied personality to the Deity: yet when the devout motions of the soul come, yield to them heart and life, though they should clothe God with shape and color. Leave your theory, as Joseph his coat in the hand of the harlot, and flee.

A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and to-morrow speak what to-morrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict every thing you said to-day.  "Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood."  Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood?

Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, 1841

To this I add that it is not a sin to be foolish.  But it is a sin to compound that foolishness by failing to set it aside when it is recognized as such, for the sake of pride.  And so, instead I shall set my pride aside and disregard certain promises I've made, and damned if I'm misunderstood for that.

Carnival barking works.  Damn it.  This blog will start including teasers to The Higher Path, where my content is largely appearing now.  The Higher Path costs $3 a month.  One cup of coffee.  Why cheapen your lives by not paying for it?