Word: instinctive
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...sincerity and knowledge criticizes or dissents from some well-established institution, idea or practice . . . is as much entitled to that dissent as his fellow who defends what this scholar condemns. This is one of the hardest lessons for public opinion in a democracy to learn. The persecuting instinct is so deep and so widespread and the passion for uniformity and conformity is so strong that many a missile will continue to be leveled at the devoted head of any scholar who dissents from a prevailing or a popular judgment." And to quote the 1927 Butler once more, "that was sage...
...night, for 96 tense hours, Lieut. Davies and his squad burrowed. No excitement of active combat, no military ends, no instinct to destroy the enemy urged them as they grubbed 27 feet into the wet, sandy soil. They were in constant expectation of a blinding, icy flash of death. As they dug, a gas main caught fire and began to broil the bomb. Twice on the way up the bomb slipped its tackles and fell to the bottom of the hole...
...pessimism of professionals sprang from simple instinct. They had not wanted Willkie in the beginning. But for nine weeks they had tried to show him loyalty, proffer their service and support, make suggestions, consult. Some of them had been waved in & out of Colorado Springs for a smile, a handshake, a drink. Many -like William ("Bill") Ditter, chairman of the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee-had never been consulted at all. Others-like Henry Fletcher, the Republicans' general counsel, who had gone to Colorado Springs with a 14-page legalistic essay on how the G. O. P. could get around...
...GOPoliticians were not crepehanging for the pleasure of it. Their instinct told them that something was lacking in the Republican campaign. Nine weeks after nomination Willkie had done very little about setting up the kind of political organization they understood. Politicians who have learned their trade from the bottom up know that elections are won in the wards and precincts, that sweating ward heelers have to get out the voters, that district leaders have to get the ward heelers to work, and somebody has to stir up the district leaders to go about...
...Saints supports Mama Garcia in preserving her Pedro's self-respect, her large brood's health and virtue. Pedro lacks Faith, succumbs to relief, gin, a jalopy. So Concha leaves him, tries alone to support her niños by toil, Faith and scheming. Primitive instinct at last leads her back to Pedro for reconciliation...