Observe, record, tabulate, communicate. Use your five senses. Learn to see, learn to hear, learn to feel, learn to smell, and know that by practice alone you can become expert.
William OslerRead
No human being is constituted to know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth; and even the best of men must be content with fragments, with partial glimpses, never the full fruition.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humans cannot comprehend the complete truth and must accept only partial understanding.
This quote by William Osler emphasizes the limitations of human knowledge and understanding. It suggests that no one can fully grasp the entirety of truth, and even the wisest individuals can only hope to perceive fragments of it, accepting that a complete understanding may remain forever out of reach.
Themes
TruthKnowledgeLimitationsUnderstandingWisdom
In practice
Example use cases
During a philosophy lecture discussing the nature of truth.
More from William Osler
All quotes →There is no more difficult art to acquire than the art of observation, and for some men it is quite as difficult to record an observation in brief and plain language.
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No bubble is so iridescent or floats longer than that blown by the successful teacher.
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The young physician starts life with 20 drugs for each disease, and the old physician ends life with one drug for 20 diseases.
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Let each hour of the day have its allotted duty, and cultivate that power of concentration which grows with its exercise.
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