Sunday, September 21, 2014

My Year of Darwin 9/21/2014: Publish and look like an ass or give up the greatest idea ever?

 Charles Darwin

"I should be extremely glad now to publish a sketch of my general views in about a dozen pages or so. But I cannot persuade myself to do so honorably. Wallace says nothing about publication, & I enclose my letter. - But as I had not intended to publish any sketch, can I do so honourably because Wallace has sent me an outline of his doctrine? -I would far rather burn my whole book than that he or any man should think that I had behaved in a paltry spirit. Do you not think his having sent me this sketch ties my hands? "  Charles Darwin, Letter to Charles Lyell, June 1858



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