What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
There are no secrets better kept than the secrets everybody guesses.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that some secrets are so obvious that they become common knowledge, yet they remain unacknowledged.
George Bernard Shaw's quote speaks to the irony of certain secrets that, despite being widely speculated upon, are not openly discussed. This phenomenon highlights the complexities of human behavior and social dynamics, where people may choose to ignore or refrain from addressing what is already known or suspected, thereby keeping the 'secret' intact. It suggests a sense of collective understanding that exists outside of verbal acknowledgment, reflecting deeper truths about perception and communication in society.
Themes
SecretsTruthHuman BehaviorSocial DynamicsCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about trust in relationships, this quote can illustrate how some unspoken truths linger beneath the surface.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
George Bernard ShawRead
Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
George Bernard ShawRead
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?
George Bernard ShawRead
Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
George Bernard ShawRead
The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
George Bernard ShawRead
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This I can declare: things that are in heaven are more real than things that are in the world.
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I don't see anything that's come out on WikiLeaks that was a legitimate secret.
Noam ChomskyRead