The idea that man is a tabula rasa, or Mao's sheet of blank paper upon which the most beautiful characters can be written, is an old one with disastrous implications. I do not think though that the cults you mention...
Salvador Dali, lying on his deathbed in a stupor, is said to have been fed thousands of sheets of blank paper to sign for fake lithographs.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does the tabula rasa idea in these quotes mean?
It refers to the notion of a person as an unmarked surface that outside forces can shape however they like, an idea one quote traces to Mao and treats as historically dangerous.
Why is a blank sheet called a symbol of human nature?
Because thinkers have long argued people start as empty pages, a view this collection says overlooks how much fixed human nature actually resists such easy reshaping.
What is the Salvador Dali story mentioned in this topic?
It recalls how, near the end of his life, he was reportedly given stacks of empty sheets to sign so they could later be turned into fake prints.
Do these quotes support the blank-slate view of people?
No, one line calls the idea flawed and worrying, suggesting that certain group movements only hold together if people avoid thinking honestly about their own nature.
Is this topic only about literal paper?
Not entirely; blank paper works here mostly as a metaphor for the mind, alongside one literal story about signed sheets used for art forgery.
It also touches on a stranger true story of blank sheets used to deceive a famous artist near the end of his life.
