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As an (academic) friend of mind mused rhetorically recently over a few beers, "Why is there so much politics in academia... Perhaps because the stakes are so lo
by Simon_O_Rourke 3y ago
As an (academic) friend of mind mused rhetorically recently over a few beers, "Why is there so much politics in academia... Perhaps because the stakes are so low".
- sofal 3y agoThe idea that politics in academia are so fierce because the stakes are so low is a meme that has been around for many years, so perhaps it's just the first time you heard it? I'm not convinced of the meme despite its cleverness or the many blog articles discussing it. I don't think it would get less politically intense if the stakes were raised.
- aborsy 3y agoIt’s a well known quote attributed to Henry Kissinger and others. A professor of mine who did some entrepreneurship used to say academics are pussies in politics compared to industry people.
- dredmorbius 3y agoQuote Investigator cites a Charles Frankel, in 1964, though my sense is that the saying long predates that (I seem to recall a variant attributed to Woodrow Wilson circa 1915). There are similar observations dating to Samuel Johnson in the 18th century: <https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/08/18/acad-politics/ https://quoteinvestigator.com/2013/08/18/acad-politics/>