[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fy7pmm0F5VpkT3hqNRJt5ukHOh2EasrR7pgSNW7iwJ7w":3,"$feZ_3nZPhx6utnIJEXSznMrLtDkeC1ZiRNMSqSZEBeQM":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},36996,"Andrew Rilstone","A",4,null,"andrew-rilstone",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":81},[14,37,49,68],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},564311,"(Everyone, I guess, sees their position as the neutral one and everyone else's position as biassed. I wonder why 177 minutes of the Today programme is completely secular; you feel horribly excluded by 3 minutes of Thought for Today. I see a sinister anti-religious bias when David Attenborough goes through a whole series without ever once aying \"On the other hand maybe God made it all\"; you feel that 30 minutes of hymn singing on Sunday evening amounts to theocratic oppression.)",2,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[22,27,32],{"id":23,"tag":24},3036368,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},102,"religion",{"id":28,"tag":29},3036366,{"id":30,"tag_name":31},3064,"bias",{"id":33,"tag":34},3036367,{"id":35,"tag_name":36},4705,"media",{"id":38,"quote_text":39,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":40,"source":41,"quote_tag":42,"commentary":48},503608,"I was sent a copy of Richard Dawkins' amusing book, The God Delusion, by an anonymous donor, so I feel I should at least try to review it. This isn't easy. I got as far as page 36 before chucking it across the room in disgust. I was in the Boston Tea Party on Park Street in Bristol. I warned the other customers to get out of my line of fire first.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[43],{"id":44,"tag":45},2807862,{"id":46,"tag_name":47},2100,"atheism","**The Backstory**\n\nThis quote is from Andrew Rilstone, a British author and critic known for his scathing reviews of science fiction novels. The sentiment expressed here suggests that he was in a state of heightened frustration or anger, possibly due to the lack of intellectual rigor in some of the books he was reading. It's worth noting that this quote was written during a time when Rilstone was actively engaging with contemporary literature and science, reflecting his broader interests in critical thinking.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\n\nThe hidden insight here is that Rilstone's reaction to The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins reveals a paradoxical tension between intellectual curiosity and emotional response. On one hand, he acknowledges the importance of engaging with ideas, even if they challenge his own beliefs; on the other, he lets his emotions get the better of him, tossing the book across the room.\n\n**How to Use This**\n\nWhen faced with an idea or argument that challenges your deeply held convictions, try to separate your emotional response from your intellectual curiosity. Take a step back and ask yourself what specific aspects of the argument are causing you distress, rather than letting your emotions dictate your reaction. By doing so, you can engage more critically with ideas and maintain a sense of intellectual integrity, even in the face of disagreement.",{"id":50,"quote_text":51,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":52,"source":53,"quote_tag":54,"commentary":9},467321,"unity. Evangelicals, by definition, don't care about \"unity\" nearly as much as they care about truth. When you say \"We may differ on some issues of morality and theology, but the important thing is that we stay together in one united Church\" you pre-suppose that the liberals are right and the evangelicals are wrong. Which, when you think about it, isn't very liberal at all.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[55,58,63],{"id":56,"tag":57},2653562,{"id":25,"tag_name":26},{"id":59,"tag":60},2653560,{"id":61,"tag_name":62},1821,"evangelical",{"id":64,"tag":65},2653561,{"id":66,"tag_name":67},6549,"liberalism",{"id":69,"quote_text":70,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":71,"author":72,"source":73,"quote_tag":74,"commentary":80},191660,"Books—all books—are complicated things, muttering at us in different contradictory voices, refusing to stay the same when we go back to them. Tying them down too much robs of them of the magic.",true,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[75],{"id":76,"tag":77},1223763,{"id":78,"tag_name":79},177,"books","### The Backstory\nThis quote is likely from Andrew Rilstone's essayistic works, written during his tenure as a book critic and cultural commentator. It reflects his observations on the nature of literature and its relationship with readers. This sentiment is characteristic of his era, where literary theory was evolving to consider the complexity of texts.\n\n### The Hidden Insight\nThe quote reveals a paradoxical tension between \"tying down\" a book's meaning and experiencing its \"magic.\" Rilstone suggests that trying to pin down a book's intended message or interpretation can stifle its dynamic, multifaceted nature. This insight highlights the author's awareness of the reader's role in co-creating the meaning of a text.\n\n### How to Use This\nTo apply this mindset today, adopt a \"read-with-tension\" approach: allow yourself to be open to multiple, sometimes contradictory interpretations within a single work. By embracing this ambiguity, you can unlock a richer understanding of literature and its ability to speak to different aspects of your own life and experiences.",{"currentPage":82,"totalPages":82,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":83},1,10]