K. and I were discussing religion and philosophy, when one of us mentioned the aphorism: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Luckily, we listen to one another, and so discovered that we had completely different understandings of what this means.
K. grew up under this, much disliked, adage that intentions are insufficient; one must act for the good intention to be meaningful. But I was taught that even well- intentioned actions can have evil consequences (as so powerfully depicted in The Sparrow.)
And so now it becomes a reminder of how easily we can, unknowing, talk past each other.
I think the second definition is the correct one. A good explanation would be the book written by Friedrich Hayek, "The Road to Serfdom". The book was written in 1944, and is prophetic to the world today. I think Hayek later won the Nobel Prize for economics sometime in the seventies.
Posted by: Mike | 22 February 2005 at 06:21 PM
The latter explanation for me too. And absolute agreement too about The Sparrow, &, of course, The Children of God. I've been pining ever since reading both 3 or 4 years ago. I must chase up the new one.
Posted by: Dick | 23 February 2005 at 04:40 AM
I thought it meant that well-meaning people make life worse than people who don't try so hard. Yes, I s ee what you mean talking past each other. Different words, same meaning, or same words, different meaning can slip right past us.
Posted by: Pearl | 23 February 2005 at 02:02 PM