/lit/ - Literature

>>18697733
It's scary how prophetic some of these old intellectuals were. Like, could you produce a prediction that would be meaningful and correct 10 years from? What about 150? Fucking crazy.

Please post your favorite instances of characters getting BTFO

I just came across this one, in 'Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition' by Francis Yates

'Logifer now enters the conversation, adducing a large number of learned doctors, Magister Adhoc, Magister Scoppet, and so on, who think nothing of the art of memory. He cites the opinion of Magister Psicoteus that nothing useful can be learned from the mnemonics of a Tullius, a Thomas Aquinas, or an Albertus Magnus.

Logifer is very well-informed about medical recipes for improving the memory, what diet is best for it, what regimen of life. Information such as this he regards as much more useful than that empty and deceptive art of memory which uses images and figures.

The reaction of Philothimus to Logifer's speech is to remark that thus do crows caw, wolves howl, horses whinney, and so on. It is clear that Logifer is one of those who ought to heed the warning of Merlin and not attempt to discuss things which are beyond him.'

OHHHH SHiiiiT fam, that's cold.

here's one from real life:

“When the Harvard faculty was considering hiring Nabokov to teach literature, one professor objected that such an appointment would be like hiring the elephants to teach zoology.