Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
Charles Caleb ColtonRead
He that studies books alone, will know how things ought to be; and he that studies men, will know how things are.
Interpretation
Studying books provides theoretical knowledge while studying people offers practical understanding.
This quote emphasizes the importance of both theoretical knowledge and practical experience. While books can provide insights into what should be done or what knowledge exists, the experience of interacting with people reveals the complexities of real life, allowing for a deeper understanding of how things truly are.
In practice
In a discussion on the value of education, this quote can be used to highlight the importance of real-life experiences.
Nothing is more durable than the dynasty of Doubt; for he reigns in the hearts of all his people, but gives satisfaction to none of them, and yet he is the only despot who can never die, while any of his subjects live.
It is astonishing how much more people are interested in lengthening life than improving it.
The benevolent have the advantage of the envious, even in this present life; for the envious man is tormented not only by all the ill that befalls himself, but by all the good that happens to another; whereas the benevolent man is the better prepared to bear his own calamities unruffled, from the complacency and serenity he has secured from contemplating the prosperity of all around him.
Happiness, that grand mistress of the ceremonies in the dance of life, impels us through all its mazes and meanderings, but leads none of us by the same route.
Our minds are as different as our faces. We are all traveling to one destination: happiness, but few are going by the same road.
Moderation is the inseparable companion of wisdom, but with it genius has not even a nodding acquaintance.
Schools are not intended to moralize a wicked world, but to impart knowledge and develop intelligence, with only two social aims in mind: prepare to take on one's share in the world's work, and perhaps in addition, lend a hand in improving society, after schooling is done.
Our children are our only hope for the future, but we are their only hope for their present and their future.
Read the Bible, read the Bible! Let no religious book take its place. Through all my perplexities and distresses, I seldom read any other book, and I as rarely felt the want of any other.
Teach your daughters, teach your granddaughters, everybody has to have something that they're good at where they can earn a living.
A book is always an emergence above everyday life. A book is expressed life and thus is an addition to life.
From the standpoint of the child, the great waste in the school comes from his inability to utilize the experiences he gets outside the school in any complete and free way within the school itself; while, on the other hand, he is unable to apply in daily life what he is learning at school. That is the isolation of the school β its isolation from life.
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