[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fms3BsWvmz70CLdmoUQsU53jYYsugkRGA12pR4BFphok":3,"$fQ_oOM9JAY0jN4kw5Hy_p7HUMNfug5qlU4qjcfA_ExIo":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},189757,"E. P. Thompson","E",271,null,"e-p-thompson",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},11168,"ball",5,{"quotes":17,"pagination":105},[18,26,32,39,45,51,63,74,85,94],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":23,"source":24,"quote_tag":25,"commentary":9},2992905,"The readings of Soviet society are as many as the experts you speak to. In my view, it’s a society that is overdue for measures of democratization and organization.",6,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":27,"quote_text":28,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":29,"source":30,"quote_tag":31,"commentary":9},2992893,"I have become a prisoner of the peace movement. But you can’t say that the termination is coming and then say that you are going back to your own garden to dig.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":33,"quote_text":34,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":35,"source":36,"quote_tag":37,"commentary":38},2992874,"The talk about balance, nuclear balance, seems to me to be metaphysical and doesn’t seem to be real at all.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nThis quote is likely from a speech or lecture given by E.P. Thompson, a British historian and social critic, in the 1960s or 1970s. During this time, Thompson was actively engaged in anti-war activism and was critical of the Cold War nuclear arms race. His work often explored the intersections of politics, culture, and intellectual history.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe hidden insight in this quote lies in Thompson's critique of the concept of \"balance\" in the context of nuclear deterrence. On the surface, the idea of balance seems rational and logical, as it implies a mutual restraint between nations to avoid catastrophic conflict. However, Thompson's statement reveals a deeper paradox: the pursuit of balance can become a self-perpetuating cycle of escalation, as each side feels compelled to maintain or exceed the other's military capabilities. This creates a situation where the very concept of balance becomes \"metaphysical\" and detached from reality.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset today, consider the ways in which your own goals or aspirations may be creating a self-perpetuating cycle of escalation. For example, in a competitive industry, constantly striving to outdo others may lead to an endless pursuit of more resources, more power, or more recognition. Recognize when your actions are driven by a desire to maintain a perceived balance or status, and instead, focus on cultivating a sense of inner balance and purpose that is not dependent on external validation.",{"id":40,"quote_text":41,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":42,"source":43,"quote_tag":44,"commentary":9},2992867,"There is not a thought that is being thought in the West or the East that is not active in some Indian mind.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":46,"quote_text":47,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":48,"source":49,"quote_tag":50,"commentary":9},2992848,"I don’t care tuppence whether I’m forced into a leadership position or not. I’d much sooner not.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":52,"quote_text":53,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":22,"author":55,"source":56,"quote_tag":57,"commentary":9},2600051,"It?s the same thing as insurance companies dragging their feet in paying physicians.",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[58],{"id":59,"tag":60},5578450,{"id":61,"tag_name":62},9469,"companies",{"id":64,"quote_text":65,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":22,"author":66,"source":67,"quote_tag":68,"commentary":9},2600050,"At a certain point one ceases to defend a certain view of history; one must defend history itself.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[69],{"id":70,"tag":71},5578449,{"id":72,"tag_name":73},16184,"views",{"id":75,"quote_text":76,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":22,"author":77,"source":78,"quote_tag":79,"commentary":9},2600048,"Football and television are like the couple running in slow motion at each other on the beach. They form the perfect marriage.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[80],{"id":81,"tag":82},5578447,{"id":83,"tag_name":84},9771,"couple",{"id":86,"quote_text":87,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":22,"author":88,"source":89,"quote_tag":90,"commentary":9},2600047,"This going into Europe will not turn out to be the thrilling mutual exchange supposed. It is more like nine middle-aged couples with failing marriages meeting in a darkened bedroom in a Brussels hotel for a group grope.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[91],{"id":92,"tag":93},5578446,{"id":83,"tag_name":84},{"id":95,"quote_text":96,"author_id":5,"source_id":54,"has_image":22,"author":97,"source":98,"quote_tag":99,"commentary":9},2600045,"For a while, you hoped the thing would turn, you know? That one of the operations in one of those towns over there would set things straight -- or, especially, those elections. Those Iraqis showed up against guns to vote. I kept hoping something like that would change things around.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[100],{"id":101,"tag":102},5578444,{"id":103,"tag_name":104},1486,"against",{"currentPage":106,"totalPages":107,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":108},1,28,10]