Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
QuintilianRead
Fear of the future is worse than one's present fortune.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Worrying about what might happen in the future can be more detrimental than dealing with current challenges.
This quote by Quintilian emphasizes the idea that anxiety and fear regarding future uncertainties often create more distress than the realities we face in our current lives. It suggests that while the present may have its difficulties, allowing ourselves to be consumed by the fear of what lies ahead can lead to greater suffering and hinder our ability to cope with the present.
Themes
FearFutureAnxietyPresentFortune
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about embracing life, one could use this quote to encourage people not to be held back by fear of future failures.
More from Quintilian
All quotes βAs regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone.
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Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
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A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
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An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity.
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It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
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