To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Facts are ventriloquist’s dummies. Sitting on a wise man’s knee they may be made to utter words of wisdom; elsewhere, they say nothing, or talk nonsense, or indulge in sheer diabolism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Facts can be manipulated to convey wisdom when guided by a knowledgeable person, but without context, they may lead to misunderstandings.
This quote by Aldous Huxley emphasizes the idea that facts alone are meaningless without the insight and wisdom of a knowledgeable person to interpret them. Just like ventriloquist's dummies which can speak only when controlled, facts need interpretation; in the wrong hands, they may lead to confusion or misrepresentation.
Themes
FactsWisdomInterpretationKnowledgeUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about climate change, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of knowledgeable interpretation of scientific facts.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
Aldous HuxleyRead
On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
Aldous HuxleyRead
The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Aldous HuxleyRead
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