Elizabeth Janeway Quotes

I'm a fan of robust debate, and I'm not averse to engaging in the odd ad hominem attack myself.

As a general rule, if you want to get at the truth - hear both sides and believe neither.

I don't feel that an atmosphere of debate and total disagreement and argument is such a bad thing. It makes for a vital and alive field.

I am used to controversies.

When two or more people agree on an issue, I form on the other side.

If you want to give me a good faceful for one of my political positions, I can take it.

I was born to argue... I don't know why. I mean, from arguing with my teachers and, on occasions, my parents. I think I've mastered the art of argument at a fairly young age.

I love disagreements. I love the democratic process. If I'm in a room where everybody agrees, I start to nod off.

Every time you write anything, at least half your readers are going to disagree with you. A big part of sports writing is how you respond to that tension.

I can open up any can of worms and get people upset.

I'm not a controversial person. I'm not trying to polarise people.

Writers should provoke disagreement.

It is absolutely essential that one should be neutral and not fall in love with the hypothesis.

Scholars will argue with each other about everything.

A liberal is a man who's too broadminded to take his own side in a quarrel.

To be objective you don't have to be an adversary. You don't have to be a bulldog tearing down everything. To make the system of checks and balances and separation of powers work, you don't have to be on their ass all the time.

Doubtless there are times when controversy becomes a necessary evil. But let us remember that it is an evil.

People are so conditioned to take sides that a balanced analysis looks to them like hatred.

For me, it's always more interesting to look at things when you don't really have a horse in the race, so to speak.

I love to argue. I've always loved to argue. And I love to point out the weaknesses of the opposing arguments. It may well be that I'm something of a shin kicker. It may well be that I'm something of a contrarian.

It serves anyone, when they're going into some project, to try to distance themselves from the material so you can really have an objective viewpoint.

I love giving you my opinion, but I don't like taking sides.

I think I was born for controversies.

I love to challenge people.

I don't like to get involved in controversial things.