Smiling always with a never fading serenity of countenance, and flourishing in an immortal youth.
Isaac BarrowRead
The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the wisest men of all ages and all countries.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Reading books allows us to engage in conversation with the greatest minds throughout history.
This quote emphasizes the transformative power of reading, suggesting that when we immerse ourselves in books, we are not just passively consuming information, but actively engaging in dialogue with the most knowledgeable and insightful individuals across time and culture. It highlights the idea that literature serves as a bridge connecting us to wisdom from various eras and locales, making the reading experience deeply enriching and educational.
Themes
ReadingBooksWisdomKnowledgeEducation
In practice
Example use cases
During a lecture on the importance of literature, I quoted, 'The reading of books, what is it but conversing with the wisest men of all ages and all countries.'
More from Isaac Barrow
All quotes βBecause men believe not in Providence, therefore they do so greedily scrape and hoard. They do not believe in any reward for charity, therefore they will part with nothing.
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If men are wont to play with swearing anywhere, can we expect they should be serious and strict therein at the bar or in the church.
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That men should live honestly, quietly, and comfortably together, it is needful that they should live under a sense of God's will, and in awe of the divine power, hoping to please God, and fearing to offend Him, by their behaviour respectively.
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Nothing of worth or weight can be achieved with half a mind, with a faint heart, and with a lame endeavor.
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Upright simplicity is the deepest wisdom, and perverse craft the merest shallowness.
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