They're ugly, but those are the facts of life.
Harper LeeRead
It's not necessary to tell all you know. It's not ladylike -- in the second place, folks don't like to have someone around knowin' more than they do. It aggravates them. Your not gonna change any of them by talkin' right, they've got to want to learn themselves, and when they don't want to learn there's nothing you can do but keep your mouth shut or talk their language.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Sometimes, it's wiser to keep knowledge to oneself, as not everyone is open to learning.
In this quote, Harper Lee emphasizes the importance of discretion in sharing knowledge. She suggests that people often feel threatened by those who know more than them, leading to discomfort and resistance to learning. The quote implies that effective communication requires knowing your audience and speaking in a way that resonates with them, rather than overwhelming them with facts.
Themes
KnowledgeWisdomCommunicationDiscretionLearning
In practice
Example use cases
During a meeting where someone is dominating the discussion, you might use this quote to suggest that not everyone needs to share their knowledge.
More from Harper Lee
All quotes →It's better to be silent than to be a fool.
Harper LeeRead
Don’t talk like that, Dill,” said Aunt Alexandra. “It’s not becoming to a child. It’s – cynical.” “I ain’t cynical, Miss Alexandra. Tellin’ the truth’s not cynical, is it?” “The way you tell it, it is.
Harper LeeRead
With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.
Harper LeeRead
He turned out the light and went into Jem's room. He would be there all night, and he would be there when Jem waked up in the morning.
Harper LeeRead
You can choose your friends but you sho' can't choose your family, an' they're still kin to you no matter whether you acknowledge 'em or not, and it makes you look right silly when you don't.
Harper LeeRead
Similar quotes
I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.
HerodotusRead
The Buddha compared anger with picking up hot coals with one's bare hands and trying to throw them at the person with whom one is angry. Who gets burned first? The one who is angry of course.
Ayya KhemaRead
Be aware of your breathing as often as you are able, whenever you remember. Do that for one year, and it will be powerfully transformative. And it's free.
Eckhart TolleRead
Confidence, of course is an admirable asset to a golfer, but it should be an unspoken confidence. It is perilous to put it into speech. The gods of golf lie in wait to chasten the presumptious.
P. G. WodehouseRead
As a trial lawyer in front of a jury and an author of true-crime books, credibility has always meant everything to me. My only master and my only mistress are the facts and objectivity. I have no others.
Vincent BugliosiRead
A thousand fearful images and dire suggestions glance along the mind when it is moody and discontented with itself. Command them to stand and show themselves, and you presently assert the power of reason over imagination.
Walter ScottRead