Endurance is nobler than strength, and patience than beauty.
John RuskinRead
People are eternally divided into two classes, the believer, builder, and praiser...and the unbeliever, destroyer and critic.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that people can be categorized into those who contribute positively to society and those who detract from it.
John Ruskin's quote reflects on the fundamental division in human nature, suggesting that individuals can be separated into two distinct classes. On one side, there are 'believers, builders, and praisers,' who actively create and nurture, fostering growth and positivity. On the opposite side, there are 'unbelievers, destroyers, and critics,' who tend to undermine and criticize, reflecting a more negative outlook. This dichotomy highlights the impact of one's mindset and actions on the world around them.
Themes
BeliefCriticismPositivityDestructionCreation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about community involvement, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of being a builder rather than a critic.
More from John Ruskin
All quotes βIn health of mind and body, men should see with their own eyes, hear and speak without trumpets, walk on their feet, not on wheels, and work and war with their arms, not with engine-beams, nor rifles warranted to kill twenty men at a shot before you can see them.
John RuskinRead
You talk of the scythe of Time, and the tooth of Time: I tell you, Time is scytheless and toothless; it is we who gnaw like the worm - we who smite like the scythe. It is ourselves who abolish - ourselves who consume: we are the mildew, and the flame.
John RuskinRead
To be able to ask a question clearly is two-thirds of the way to getting it answered.
John RuskinRead
See that your children be taught, not only the labors of the earth, but the loveliness of it.
John RuskinRead
A little thought and a little kindness are often worth more than a great deal of money.
John RuskinRead
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