If you wish to appear agreeable in society, you must consent to be taught many things which you already know.
Interpretation
To fit in socially, we often pretend to learn what we already understand.
This quote suggests that in social contexts, individuals often have to suppress their true knowledge and opinions to be seen as agreeable. It highlights the tension between personal authenticity and social conformity, suggesting that to maintain harmony in relationships, one may need to feign ignorance or openness to learning, even about concepts they already comprehend.
In practice
During a group discussion about a familiar topic, one might quote this to reflect on the need for adaptability.
There are many kinds of smiles, each having a distinct character. Some announce goodness and sweetness, others betray sarcasm, bitterness and pride; some soften the countenance by their languishing tenderness, others brighten by their spiritual vivacity.
He who seldom speaks, and with one calm well-timed word can strike dumb the loquacious, is a genius or a hero.
Where pride begins, love ceases.
Who in the same given time can produce more than others has vigor; who can produce more and better, has talents; who can produce what none else can, has genius.
When you doubt between words, use the plainest, the commonest, the most idiomatic. Eschew fine words as you would rouge; love simple ones as you would the native roses on your cheek.
Three days of uninterrupted company in a vehicle will make you better acquainted with another, than one hour's conversation with him every day for three years.
The rule of law, democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of expression - we cannot take them for granted. They do not exist willy-nilly across the world; they are very rare.
Like the grasses showing tender faces to each other, thus should we do, for this was the wish of the Grandfathers of the World.
I discovered later, and I'm still discovering right up to this moment, that is it only by living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. By this-worldliness I mean living unreservedly in life's duties, problems, successes and failures. In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world. That, I think, is faith.
But she was waiting patiently. She no longer believed in talk. It never rescued anything. At seventy she had come to believe in time alone. ~pg 254
The cause of freedom is not the cause of a race or a sect, a party or a class - it is the cause of humankind, the very birthright of humanity.
All those who try to unveil the mysteries always have tragic lives. At the end they are always punished.
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