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No one can become really educated without having pursued some study in which he took no interest- for it is a part of education to learn to interest ourselves in subjects for which we have no aptitude.
T. S. Eliot
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True education involves engaging with subjects that do not initially interest us, fostering the ability to develop interest in diverse areas.

T.S. Eliot's quote emphasizes the importance of studying subjects that may not capture our initial interest. It suggests that a comprehensive education requires the intellectual discipline to engage with a variety of topics, even those outside our natural inclinations. By doing so, we cultivate a broader perspective and an ability to learn from diverse fields, thereby enriching our overall understanding and education.

Themes

EducationLearningInterestStudyAptitude

In practice

Example use cases

During a graduation speech to emphasize the value of diverse education.

More from T. S. Eliot

There is no feeling, except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not find relief in music.
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Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm. But the harm does not interest them.
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I am an Anglo-Catholic in religion, a classicist in literature and a royalist in politics.
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If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?
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For I have known them all already, known them all— Have known the evenings, mornings, afternoons, I have measured out my life with coffee spoons.
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In the faint moonlight, the grass is singing
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