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
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What you do has far greater impact than what you say.
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Of my fifty-seven years I have applied at least thirty to forgetting most of what I have learned or read. Since then, I have acquired a certain ease and cheer which I should never again like to be without. (...) I have stored little in my memory, but I can apply that little, and it is of use in many and varied emergencies. I keep it in order, but resist every attempt to increase its dead weight.
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The experience gathered from books, though often valuable, is but the nature of learning; whereas the experience gained from actual life is one of the nature of wisdom.
Samuel SmilesRead
Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We're teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. Create your own. Most people can't do it.
Mitch AlbomRead