Our chief defect is that we are more given to talking about things than to doing them.
Jawaharlal NehruRead
A language is something infinitely greater than grammar and philology. It is the poetic testament of the genius of a race and a culture, and the living embodiment of the thoughts and fancies that have moulded them
Interpretation
Language embodies the essence of a culture, transcending mere grammatical rules.
This quote by Jawaharlal Nehru emphasizes that language is not just a set of rules or a subject of study, but a deep reflection of a culture's identity and creativity. It highlights how language captures the unique thoughts, emotions, and experiences of a people, showcasing their intellectual and artistic heritage throughout history.
In practice
During a lecture on cultural studies, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of language in understanding societal values.
Our chief defect is that we are more given to talking about things than to doing them.
India has known the innocence and insouciance of childhood, the passion and abandon of youth, and the ripe wisdom of maturity that comes from long experience of pain and pleasure; and over and over a gain she has renewed her childhood and youth and age
Life is like a game of cards. The hand you are dealt is determinism; the way you play it is free will.
Crises and deadlocks when they occur have at least this advantage, that they force us to think.
What we really are matters more than what other people think of us.
Loyal and efficient work in a great cause, even though it may not be immediately recognized, ultimately bears fruit.
Education used to be a slice of life, something you did as a child through college, and then spent the rest of your life working, and then death. Everything is about to change. I believe education will become something that fits seamlessly into life, and we will take big clunky things like degrees and college and fit them into a weekend.
American computer science grads often have very little exposure to the human condition. They've rarely had manual labor or service jobs. They grow up in a bubble of privilege lulled into thinking this country is a true meritocracy.
A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education.
I like to read things I've read before. It's like listening over and over to your favorite song.
It used to take me all vacation to grow a new hide in place of the one they flogged off me during school term.
Don't dumb down; always write for your top five percent of readers.
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