Quotations and Literature Forum

what is the source of a quote relating to the difficulty of holding two opposing thoughts in one mind? Thanks

I didn't find a quote, but it is one definition of:

cognitive dissonance - holding two opposing thoughts in your mind simultaneously
http://www.imagineworldhealth.org/behea ... mental.htm

“simultaneously hold two opposing thoughts in our mind”
– what Norman Mailer defines as genius.
http://www.thorsons.com/divination/panchang_nov.asp

The concept of Abraxas is rooted in the belief that the capacity for both good and evil exist in the mind or the soul of man. Consequently, the deeds of men are seldom "purely good". It is the conscience that often governs our actions.

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=%2 ... Abraxas%22

I first came across the term while reading the novel, Demian, by Herman Hesse.