Tightrope walking satirical or acidic contexts. Nicholas Taleb uses the phrase in his book "The Black Swan". "You get respect for doing funambulism or spectator sports". Taleb is criticising scientists who prefer popularism to vigorous research and those who walk a fixed and narrow path rather than explore a large field of empirical study. Tightrope walking Tightrope walking, also called funambulism, is the skill of walking along a thin wire or rope. It has a long tradition in various countries and is commonly associated with the circus. Other skills similar to tightrope walking include slack rope walking and slacklining. Acrobats maintain their
Letter to a Priest wishing to be parachuted into France to aid the French Resistance. Letter to a Priest "Letter to a Priest" () is a letter containing thirty-five, "expressions of opinion on matters concerning Catholic faith, dogma and institutions", by the French religious and social philosopher and mystic Simone Weil. It was first published in 1951 by Gallimard, and an English edition followed in 1953. It has since been republished several times in book form. Weil: ""When I read The Catechism of the Council of Trent, it seems as though I had nothing in common with the religion there set forth. [...] I