Context Is Vital
The meaning of a string of words can seem to be entirely opposite in intent if it is placed in the wrong context. The device of spreading false ideas by quoting people out of context has a long and dishonorable history.
It is not just words that can be twisted by manipulating the context. No supposed scientific 'fact' should be trusted in isolation. Science is not a set of isolated facts - it is a beautiful canvas woven with the finest silks. The fact that one damaged thread can be plucked out does not constitute proof that the whole picture is flawed.
A long time back, Mad Magazine published a page of 'what the critics said' about Mad Magazine. The memory of that spoof was my inspiration for what follows - a list of what critics have said about my writings. I think it shows up the overarching importance of context.
