Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen.
John SteinbeckRead
The discipline of the written word punishes both stupidity and dishonesty.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing reveals the truth and exposes ignorance and deceit.
This quote by John Steinbeck emphasizes the power of the written word as a tool for accountability. It suggests that writing serves as a discipline that holds individuals responsible for their thoughts and actions, making it difficult for ignorance and dishonesty to thrive, as both are often unveiled through the clarity and precision that writing demands.
Themes
DisciplineWritten WordTruthAccountabilityHonesty
In practice
Example use cases
During a writing workshop, to encourage honesty among participants.
More from John Steinbeck
All quotes βAt 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.
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It is one of the triumphs of the human that he can know a thing and still not believe it.
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