Not a law firm in the entire city of New York bid for my employment as a lawyer when I earned my degree.
Ruth Bader GinsburgRead
At Cornell University, my professor of European literature, Vladimir Nabokov, changed the way I read and the way I write. Words could paint pictures, I learned from him. Choosing the right word, and the right word order, he illustrated, could make an enormous difference in conveying an image or an idea.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of language and the importance of word choice in effective communication.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg reflects on the profound impact that her professor, Vladimir Nabokov, had on her understanding of literature and writing. She learned that words are not just tools for communication but can also create vivid images and convey complex ideas effectively. The precision of word choice and arrangement can significantly influence how messages are interpreted by others.
Themes
LanguageWritingCommunicationWordsLiterature
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a speech about the importance of writing skills in education.
More from Ruth Bader Ginsburg
All quotes →If you want to influence people, you want them to accept your suggestions, you don't say, 'You don't know how to use the English language,' or 'How could you make that argument?' It will be welcomed much more if you have a gentle touch than if you are aggressive.
Ruth Bader GinsburgRead
I try to teach through my opinions, through my speeches, how wrong it is to judge people on the basis of what they look like, color of their skin, whether they're men or women.
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The worst times were the years I was alone. The image to the public entering the courtroom was eight men, of a certain size, and then this little woman sitting to the side. That was not a good image for the public to see.
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A constitution, as important as it is, will mean nothing unless the people are yearning for liberty and freedom.
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My resume showed membership on both the Harvard and Columbia Law Reviews, a credit impressive abroad where it was not generally known that Law Reviews were student-operated publications.
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