What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights how deeply people can be influenced by their cultural beliefs, often confusing them with universal truths.
George Bernard Shaw's quote reflects the tendency of individuals to interpret the world through the lens of their own cultural customs. It suggests that people can become so entrenched in their beliefs that they mistake their cultural practices as inherent laws, leading to misunderstandings and a lack of empathy for differing perspectives. This serves as a reminder of the importance of recognizing and respecting the diversity of beliefs and customs that exist across various cultures.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a discussion about cultural differences, this quote illustrates the need for understanding others' viewpoints.
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.
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.
I feel nothing but the accursed happiness I have dreaded all my life long: the happiness that comes as life goes, the happiness of yielding and dreaming instead of resisting and doing, the sweetness of the fruit that is going rotten.
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The iron chain and the silken cord are both equally bonds.
Nothing looks so like innocence as an indiscretion.
It's a rare and precious thing to be close to suffering because our society - in many ways - tells us that suffering is wrong. If it's our own suffering, we try to hide it or isolate ourselves. If others are suffering, we're taught to put them away somewhere so we don't have to see it.
I am a lover of truth, a worshipper of freedom, a celebrant at the altar of language and purity and tolerance.