I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Abraham LincolnRead
A capacity and taste for reading gives access to whatever has already been discovered by others.
Interpretation
Reading allows individuals to learn from the discoveries and insights of others.
Abraham Lincoln emphasizes the importance of reading as a means to gain knowledge and access the collective discoveries of humanity. With a passion for reading, one can tap into the wisdom and experiences of those who came before, enriching one's own understanding and perspective on life.
In practice
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of literacy in schools.
I am like a man so busy in letting rooms in one end of his house, that he can't stop to put out the fire that is burning the other.
Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.
How many legs does a dog have if you call the tail a leg? Four. Calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg.
For it has been said, all that a man hath will he give for his life; and while all contribute of their substance the soldier puts his life at stake, and often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then is due to the soldier.
And having thus chosen our course, without guile, and with pure purpose, let us renew our trust in God, and go forward without fear, and with manly hearts.
Do those serving life sentences deserve access to educational opportunities never having a future beyond bars? The answer is yes and necessitates that in-prison education serves additional goals beyond reducing recidivism.
(...) being right all the time acquires a huge importance in education, and there is this terror of being wrong. The ego is so tied to being right that later on in life you are reluctant to accept that you are ever wrong, because you are defending not the idea but your self-esteem. (...) this terror of being wrong means that people have enormous difficulties in changing ideas.
I think picture books should stretch children. I think they should be full of wonderful, amazing words.
Education: the inculcation of the incomprehensible into the indifferent by the incompetent.
And read⦠read all the time⦠read as a matter of principle, as a matter of self-respect. Read as a nourishing staple of life.
only through new words might new worlds be called into order
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