What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The American Constitution, one of the few modern political documents drawn up by men who were forced by the sternest circumstances to think out what they really had to face, instead of chopping logic in a university classroom.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the practical and urgent context in which the American Constitution was created, emphasizing real-world challenges over theoretical debate.
George Bernard Shaw suggests that the American Constitution was crafted under intense and serious circumstances, compelling its authors to confront the reality of their political situation rather than engage in abstract academic discussions. This reflects the idea that true understanding and significant political decisions emerge from direct experiences and challenges rather than mere theoretical considerations.
Themes
ConstitutionPoliticsRealityChallengesThinking
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of practical experience in governance.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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