Isaiah Berlin once said that there are two kinds of writers, hedgehogs and foxes. He said the fox knows many things, the hedgehog knows just one thing. So Shakespeare is a typical fox; Tolstoy and Dostoyevsky are typical hedgehogs. Now, I'm a typical hedgehog. I know just one thing, and I repeat it over and over again. I try to approach it from different angles to make it look different, but it's the same thing.

Summary

In this quote, the speaker refers to Isaiah Berlin's concept of two types of writers: hedgehogs and foxes. The speaker identifies themselves as a hedgehog, a writer who focuses on one single idea or theme and repeatedly explores it from various perspectives. They acknowledge that while they strive to present this idea differently, it remains constant. The quote suggests that writers like Shakespeare, known for their breadth of knowledge and versatility, are foxes who possess a range of ideas. In this case, the speaker embraces their own hedgehog-like nature, emphasizing their commitment to one core concept in their writing.

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