People
If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; but if you really make them think, they'll hate you.
— Don Marquis
Behind the line May contain spoilers.
Our reading
An editorial interpretation.
The speaker draws a sharp distinction between comfortable, flattering illusions of intellectual engagement and the more uncomfortable work of genuine, challenging thought. People enjoy feeling clever, but true thinking that unsettles their assumptions tends to provoke resentment rather than gratitude.
Context reviewed