Acquire a government over your ideas, that they may come down when they are called, and depart when they are bidden.
Isaac WattsRead
The Fondness we have for Self, and the Relation which other Persons and Things have to ourselves, furnish us with another long Rank of Prejudices.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our affection for ourselves and our perspective on others can lead to biased judgments.
Isaac Watts highlights how our self-interest and ego can shape our perceptions and relationships with the world around us. This tendency to prioritize our own feelings and biases can result in prejudices against others, affecting our judgments and interactions.
Themes
SelfPrejudicePerceptionEgoBias
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about social biases, one might say, 'As Isaac Watts pointed out, the fondness we have for self can cloud our judgment of others.'
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Though reading and conversation may furnish us with many ideas of men and things, yet it is our own meditation must form our judgment.
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