There are many things which we can afford to forget which it is yet well to learn.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.Read
No generalization is wholly true—not even this one.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes that all generalizations have exceptions, even the statement itself.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.'s quote reflects the philosophical understanding that while generalizations can be useful for organizing knowledge and experiences, they inherently fail to capture the complexity and nuances of reality. The assertion that 'no generalization is wholly true' serves as a reminder to approach statements and categorizations with a critical mindset, acknowledging that rigid classifications may overlook unique individual cases or truths.
Themes
GeneralizationTruthComplexityPhilosophyNuance
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about stereotypes, one might use this quote to highlight the danger of oversimplifying individuals.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
All quotes →On the whole, I am on the side of the unregenerate who affirms the worth of life as an end in itself, as against the saints who deny it.
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If you don't know what you want, you will probably never get it.
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Why should you row a boat race? Why endure the long months of pain in preparation for a fierce half hour that will leave you all but dead? Does anyone ask the question? Is there anyone who would not go through all the costs, and more, for the moment when anguish breaks into triumph or even for the glory of having nobly lost? Is life less than a boat race? If a man will give the blood in his body to win the one, will he spend all the might of his soul to prevail in the other?
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The main part of intellectual education is not the acquisition of facts, but learning how to make facts live.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.Read
Beware how you take away hope from another human being.
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.Read
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