We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
I hate facts. I always say the chief end of man is to form general propositions - adding that no general proposition is worth a damn.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects skepticism towards absolutist truths, highlighting the paradox of forming broad statements that may lack true value.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. expresses a critical view on the nature of facts and general propositions. He suggests that while humans may strive to create overarching truths about existence, these generalizations often fail to hold real significance, implying that knowledge is more nuanced and complex than simple statements can convey.
Themes
FactsPropositionsTruthKnowledgePhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate about the nature of reality.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
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The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
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Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
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Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
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Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
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