History had been man's effort to accomodate himself to what he could not do. Amereican history in the 20th century would, more than ever before, test man's ability to accomodate himself to all the new things he could do.
Daniel J. BoorstinRead
The most promising words ever written on the maps of human knowledge are terra incognita, unknown territory.
Interpretation
The idea of 'unknown territory' symbolizes the potential for discovery and learning in areas yet unexplored.
Daniel J. Boorstin highlights the significance of embracing the unknown in the pursuit of knowledge. By referring to 'terra incognita,' or unknown territory, he suggests that some of the most exciting opportunities for learning and understanding lie in areas that we have not yet charted. This encourages a mindset of curiosity and exploration, reminding us that much of what we can learn about the world remains undiscovered, waiting for brave thinkers to venture forth.
In practice
In a motivational speech about innovation and creativity.
History had been man's effort to accomodate himself to what he could not do. Amereican history in the 20th century would, more than ever before, test man's ability to accomodate himself to all the new things he could do.
Freedom means the opportunity to be what we never thought we would be.
Human models are more vivid and more persuasive than explicit moral commands.
Knowledge is not simply another commodity. On the contrary. Knowledge is never used up. It increases by diffusion and grows by dispersion.
We need not be theologians to see that we have shifted responsibility for making the world interesting from God to the newspaperman.
There was a time when the reader of an unexciting newspaper would remark, 'How dull is the world today!' Nowadays he says, 'What a dull newspaper!'
Brevity is a great charm of eloquence.
When you have those two languages - an analytic one like English and a synthetic, very sensual thing like Russian, you get almost a psychotic sense of humanity that permeates nearly everything. It can help you understand, and it can discourage you, because you see how little can be done.
Men should strive to think much and know little.
How like fish we are: ready, nay eager, to seize upon whatever new thing some wind of circumstance shakes down upon the river of time! And how we rue our haste, finding the gilded morsel to contain a hook!
People's dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after rabbits will dream of rabbits. It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.
The discipline of the written word punishes both stupidity and dishonesty.
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