Mihai Nadin quotes

“The major accomplishment of analyzing illiteracy so far has been the listing of symptoms: the decrease in functional literacy; a general degradation of writing skills and reading comprehension; an alarming increase of packaged language (cliches used in speeches, canned messages); and a general tendency to substitute visual media (especially television and video) for written language.”
-- Mihai Nadin

Source : Mihai Nadin (1997). “The Civilization of Illiteracy”, p.17, Dresden University Press

#Reading Quotes #Writing Quotes #Media Quotes

“Method helps intuition when it is not transformed into dictatorship. Intuition augments method if it does not instill anarchy. In every moment of our semiotic existence, method and intuition complement one another.”
-- Mihai Nadin

#Intuition Quotes #Doe Quotes #Anarchy Quotes

“Well, I would hardly say I do write as yet. But I write because I like words. I suppose if I liked stone I might carve. I like words. I like reading. I notice particular words. That sets me off.”

“You may be sitting in a room reading this book. Imagine one note struck upon the piano. Immediately that one note is enough to change the atmosphere of the room - proving that the sound element in music is a powerful and mysterious agent, which it would be foolish to deride or belittle.”

Source : Aaron Copland (2011). “What to Listen For in Music”, p.23, Penguin

“Leafing through Forbes or Fortune [magazine]s is like reading the operating manual of a strangely sanctimonious pirate ship”

“Almost anyone can be an author; the business is to collect money and fame from this state of being.”

“If the English language had been properly organized ... then there would be a word which meant both 'he' and 'she', and I could write, 'If John or Mary comes heesh will want to play tennis', which would save a lot of trouble.”

“I had casually rented an apartment that cost $75 a month because I expected my writing to pay my way.”

“It came about as follows: over the years when I was involved in dianetics, I wrote the beginnings of many stories. I would get an idea, and then write the beginning, and then never touch it again.”

“The idea that media is there to educate us, or to inform us, is ridiculous because that's about tenth or eleventh on their list.”

“Today the Western powers and media want to domesticate us like sheep, to keep us tame and domesticated.”

Source : "'We Should Not Fear Being Called Radical'". Interview with Farish A. Noor, theseoultimes.com.

“[This is the] very first condition which has to be fulfilled in every kind of propaganda: a systematically one-sided attitude towards every problem that has to be dealt with...”