Nowhere is wisdom more necessary than in the guidance of charitable impulses. Meaning well is only half our duty; Thinking right is the other, and equally important, half.
Interpretation
Wisdom is essential in guiding our charitable actions, as good intentions alone are not sufficient.
This quote emphasizes the importance of not just having good intentions when it comes to charitable acts, but also the necessity of thoughtful consideration and wisdom in how we implement these impulses. Samuel Gridley Howe argues that understanding the implications and consequences of our charitable actions is as crucial as the desire to help, highlighting the dual responsibility of thinking correctly and acting with kindness.
In practice
In a speech about philanthropy, you could quote this to emphasize the importance of thoughtful giving.
In normal life we hardly realize how much more we receive than we give, and life cannot be rich without such gratitude. It is so easy to overestimate the importance of our own achievements compared with what we owe to the help of others.
In the sea there are countless treasures, _x000D_ _x000D_ But if you desire safety, it is on the shore.
...to many it is not knowledge but the quest for knowledge that gives greater interest to thought-to travel hopefully is better than to arrive.
Humility can weep over other men's weaknesses, and joy and rejoice over their graces.
Begin, be bold, and venture to be wise,_x000D_ _x000D_ He who defers this work from day to day,_x000D_ _x000D_ Does on a river's bank expecting stay,_x000D_ _x000D_ Till the whole stream, which stopped him, should be gone,_x000D_ _x000D_ That runs, and as it runs, for ever will run on.
Nothing is more intolerable than to have to admit to yourself your own errors.
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