Jasper: “Historians and social observers have plenty to say about the [Guardian syndrome] attitude itself but not the reasons for it. They take it as a given—as if it were so natural it did not require explanation. Maddening.”

…

Kate: “Few people are like Newton, who said to himself, ‘Why is that?’ when he saw the apple drop instead of sailing off. For most people, finding an answer, right or wrong, precedes recognizing that a valid question even exists.”

“Jasper and Kate on the Guardian Syndrome,” Systems of Survival (p59)

Does Jane Jacobs belong in the same category as Newton? Remember, from Dark Age Ahead, that many fail to ask a fruitful question. Observation is Jacobs’ primary tool (and criticism).