Talk:Quotes:Humpty-Dumpty
From Tractatus
This is my second favorite quote, because it perfectly captures the essence of abstraction, which is so essential to mathematical thought.
We define what the words mean, because we are the masters. There is no contradiction when another defines them a different way. In fact, that is a benefit, because it lets us communicate by discussing the deifinitions.
I also like this quote, because it provides an insight into how to win grammar arguments. For a related thought, see Quotes:284. --Iain 14:36, 13 Jun 2005 (EDT)