What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
A statesman who confines himself to popular legislation - or, for the matter of that, a playwright who confines himself to popular plays - is like a blind man's dog who goes wherever the blind man pulls him, on the ground that both of them want to go to the same place.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that true leadership and creativity require vision and independence, rather than merely conforming to popular demand.
George Bernard Shaw uses a powerful analogy to illustrate that both statesmen and playwrights must not simply cater to popular opinion. Instead, true leaders and artists should possess their own vision and direction, rather than being blindly guided by the whims of the masses. By comparing them to a blind man's dog, Shaw emphasizes the importance of independent thought and the danger of lacking personal insight.
Themes
LeadershipVisionCreativityIndependencePopular Opinion
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech advocating for independent thought in politics.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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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?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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