What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The open mind never acts: when we have done our utmost to arrive at a reasonable conclusion, we still must close our minds for the moment with a snap, and act dogmatically on our conclusions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
An open mind is essential for understanding, but action requires decisiveness.
George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the balance between open-mindedness and decisiveness in decision-making. While it is important to consider different viewpoints and reason through a situation, action requires a certain level of commitment and certainty. Therefore, when it comes to acting on a conclusion, one must sometimes set aside the open-mindedness to decisively pursue a chosen path.
Themes
DecisionOpen MindActionConclusionReasoning
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting where diverse opinions are shared, it may be essential to conclude and act based on the consensus.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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