The Sting in the Tail

Abstract

Society has evolved many ways to eliminate extreme situations and to reduce their impact. Institutions such as emergency services deal with extremes. Laws and customs seek to eliminate extreme behaviour. Standardization aims to remove isolated products and practices. Media reporting distorts public perception of issues by focussing on extreme events as though they are the norm. Many social problems stem from failure to recognize extremes for what they are. One is prejudice, such as the false assumption that men are better than women at chess and other games. Another is the refusal to recognize and respond to extreme danger, which has led to disasters such as the destruction of St Pierre in 1906.

Every political good carried to the extreme must be productive of evil.¹