What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
Our first duty, to which every other consideration should be sacrificed, is not to be poor.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that avoiding poverty is a primary responsibility that outweighs other priorities.
In this quote, George Bernard Shaw asserts that the fundamental obligation of individuals is to ensure their financial stability. He suggests that the struggle against poverty should take precedence over other concerns and ambitions, as being poor can severely limit oneβs opportunities and quality of life. Essentially, Shaw is highlighting the importance of prioritizing economic security as a means to live a fulfilling life.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about financial responsibility, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of prioritizing economic security.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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