Scientia potentia est, sed parva; quia scientia egregia rara est, nec proinde apparens nisi paucissimis, et in paucis rebus. Scientiae enim ea natura est, ut esse intelligi non possit, nisi ab illis qui sunt scientia praediti.
Interpretation
Knowledge is powerful, but rare. True understanding is not easily recognized and is typically held by a few.
The quote by Thomas Hobbes suggests that while knowledge has the potential to empower individuals, it is often scarce and not readily apparent to most people. True knowledge requires a deep comprehension that can only be attained by those specially equipped with the ability to grasp it. This highlights the rarity of profound understanding and the selectivity of those who actually possess significant knowledge.
In practice
In a speech about the importance of education, one could say, 'As Hobbes noted, knowledge is powerful yet rare.'
Baptism is the sacrament of allegiance of them that are to be received into the Kingdom of God, that is to say, into Eternal life, that is to say, to Remission of Sin. For as Eternal life was lost by the committing, so it is recovered by the remitting of men's sins.
Force and fraud are in war the two cardinal virtues.
For it is not the shape, but their use, that makes them angels.
For to accuse requires less eloquence, such is man's nature, than to excuse; and condemnation, than absolution, more resembles justice.
The end of knowledge is power ... the scope of all speculation is the performing of some action or thing to be done.
They that approve a private opinion, call it opinion; but they that dislike it, heresy; and yet heresy signifies no more than private opinion.
The Book of Proverbs deals very hard blows against sluggards, and Christian ministers do well frequently to denounce the great sin of idleness, which is the mother of a huge family of sins.
We are Divine enough to ask and we are important enough to receive.
In youth men are apt to write more wisely than they really know or feel; and the remainder of life may be not idly spent in realizing and convincing themselves of the wisdom which they uttered long ago.
If you live for people’s acceptance you will die from their rejection.
Often, we do not know where our choices will take us. This is why the best choices are often made based not on what they can bring to us, but what they will allow us to bring to others.
A million candles have burned themselves out. Still I read on. (Montresor)
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.