What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
The roulette table pays nobody except him that keeps it. Nevertheless a passion for gaming is common, though a passion for keeping roulette tables is unknown.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the nature of gambling, revealing that while many are passionate about playing, few recognize the true value in owning the means of the game.
George Bernard Shaw's quote highlights the irony of gambling: while many people are captivated by the thrill of playing games like roulette, they overlook the fact that success is skewed towards those who control the game itself, such as the owners of the casino. This emphasizes a deeper philosophical point about understanding the systems and structures that govern our pursuits, suggesting that true success comes from a comprehensive understanding of those dynamics rather than a mere engagement in the game.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the economics of gambling.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
Similar quotes
But we should be mindful as we argue about our differences that so much more unites than divides us. We should also note that our differences, when compared with those in many, if not most, other countries, are smaller than we sometimes imagine them to be.
In a repressive society, a writer can be deeply influential, but in a society that's filled with glut and repetition and endless consumption, the act of terror may be the only meaningful act.
The best of America drifts to Paris. The American in Paris is the best American. It is more fun for an intelligent person to live in an intelligent country. France has the only two things toward which we drift as we grow older—intelligence and good manners.
What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.
Personally, when it comes to rights, I think one of two things is true. I think either we have unlimited rights, or we have no rights at all. Personally I lean towards unlimited rights, I feel for instance I have the right to do anything I please, BUT! If I do something you don't like I think you have the right to kill me.
Mortification is the soul's vigorous opposition to self, wherein sincerity is most evident.