In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn, than to contemplate.
Rene DescartesRead
Books are personal, passionate. They stir emotions and spark thoughts in a manner all their own, and I'm convinced that the shattered world has less hope for repair if reading becomes an ever smaller part of it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books evoke deep emotions and thoughts, playing a crucial role in society's hope for improvement.
This quote emphasizes the profound impact that books have on individuals and society. Frank Bruni suggests that literature not only sparks emotions and thoughts but also holds the power to foster hope and repair in a fragmented world. The dwindling presence of reading threatens this potential for growth and understanding, pointing to the critical need for literature in our lives.
Themes
BooksEducationHopeReadingLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of education, I quoted Bruni to reinforce the value of reading.
Similar quotes
To learn a belief without the belief is to sing a song without the tune.
Ursula K. Le GuinRead
The academic bias against subjectivity not only forces our students to write poorly ("It is believed...," instead of, "I believe..."), it deforms their thinking about themselves and their world. In a single stroke, we delude our students into believing that bad prose turns opinions into facts and we alienate them from their own inner lives.
Parker J. PalmerRead
You can't have too many books featuring people of color, just like you can't have too many books featuring white people.
Jacqueline WoodsonRead
Teaching is more difficult than learning because what teaching calls for is this: to let learn. The real teacher, in fact, lets nothing else be learned than learning. His conduct, therefore, often produces the impression that we properly learn nothing from him, if by "learning" we now suddenly understand merely the procurement of useful information.
Martin HeideggerRead
This crippling of individuals I consider the worst evil of capitalism. Our whole educational system suffers from this evil. An exaggerated competitive attitude is inculcated into the student, who is trained to worship acquisitive success as a preparation for his future.
Albert EinsteinRead