Digressions incontestably are the sunshine; they are the life, the soul of reading.
Laurence SterneRead
The most accomplished way of using books is to serve them as some people do lords; learn their titles and then brag of their acquaintance.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques shallow knowledge and emphasizes the importance of genuine understanding over façade.
Laurence Sterne's quote highlights the tendency of some individuals to superficially engage with literature for the sake of reputation, rather than seeking true understanding or wisdom. It suggests that simply being familiar with the titles of books does not equate to meaningful learning; instead, it criticizes those who boast about their literary connections without having derived deeper insights from them.
Themes
BooksEducationKnowledgeUnderstandingWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of reading, one could use this quote to illustrate the idea that true engagement with literature requires more than just surface-level recognition.
More from Laurence Sterne
All quotes →To write a book is for all the world like humming a song—be but in tune with yourself, madam, 'tis no matter how high or how low you take it.
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Solitude is the best nurse of wisdom.
Laurence SterneRead
The accusing spirit, which flew up to heaven's chancery with the oath, blushed as he gave it in; and the recording angel as he wrote it down dropped a tear upon the word and blotted it out forever.
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I'll not hurt thee, says Uncle Toby, rising with the fly in his hand. Go, he says, opening the window to let it escape. Why should I hurt thee? This world is surely wide enough to hold both thee and me.
Laurence SterneRead
I once asked a hermit in Italy how he could venture to live alone, in a single cottage, on the top of a mountain, a mile from any habitation? He replied, that Providence was his next-door neighbor.
Laurence SterneRead
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