It takes a wonderful brain and exquisite senses to produce a few stupid ideas.
George SantayanaRead
In Greece wise men speak and fools decide.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the distinction between those who possess knowledge and insight and those who make hasty decisions without understanding.
George Santayana's quote emphasizes the value of wisdom and the pitfalls of rash decisions. It suggests that wise individuals often offer thoughtful perspectives, but it is the uninformed or foolish who ultimately make decisions, potentially leading to negative outcomes. This serves as a reminder to seek knowledge and reflect before taking action, rather than allowing ignorance to dictate choices.
Themes
WisdomDecisionKnowledgeFoolsInsight
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about problem-solving in a team meeting, I might say this quote to emphasize the importance of discernment.
More from George Santayana
All quotes βThe working of great institutions is mainly the result of a vast mass of routine, petty malice, self interest, carelessness and sheer mistake. Only a residual fraction is thought.
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There is no cure for birth and death save to enjoy the interval. The dark background which death supplies brings out the tender colours of life in all their purity.
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Not to believe in love is a great sign of dullness. There are some people so indirect and lumbering that they think all real affection rests on circumstantial evidence.
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To feel beauty is a better thing than to understand how we come to feel it. To have imagination and taste, to love the best, to be carried by the contemplation of nature to a vivid faith in the ideal, all this is more, a great deal more, than any science can hope to be.
George SantayanaRead
The vital straining towards an ideal, definite but latent, when it dominates a whole life, may express that ideal more fully than could the best chosen words.
George SantayanaRead
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