Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
John SteinbeckRead
How can I teach my boys the value and beauty of language and thus communication when the President himself reads westerns exclusively and cannot put together a simple English sentence? (John Steinbeck, in a private letter written during the Eisenhower administration)
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote critiques the importance of language and communication, implying that if leaders fail in these areas, it impacts the younger generation's view of their value.
In this quote, John Steinbeck expresses his concern about the diminishing appreciation for language and effective communication, particularly in the context of leadership. He points out that if a president, a figure of authority, demonstrates a lack of proficiency in language by reading simplistic literature and struggling with the English language, it sets a poor example for young boys who are impressionable. Steinbeck highlights the essential role of language in conveying ideas and values, suggesting that the appreciation of language should be nurtured as it contributes to the beauty and efficacy of communication.
Themes
LanguageCommunicationValueEducationLeadership
In practice
Example use cases
In a classroom discussion on the importance of language, this quote can be used to emphasize the need for effective communication skills.
More from John Steinbeck
All quotes →At one point, as Samuel urges Adam to raise his boys well regardless of the blood that might be in them, Adam tells him, "You can't make a race horse of a pig." Samuel replies, "No, but you can make a very fast pig.
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And when that crop grew, and was harvested, no man had crumbled a hot clod in his fingers and let the earth sift past his fingertips. No man had touched the seed, or lusted for the growth. Men ate what they had not raised, had no connection with the bread. The land bore under iron, and under iron gradually died; for it was not loved or hated, it had no prayers or curses.
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The comfortable people in tight houses felt pity at first, and then distaste, and finally hatred for the migrant people.
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People do not want advice - they want corroboration.
John SteinbeckRead
It is one of the triumphs of the human that he can know a thing and still not believe it.
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