We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
We are all tattooed in our cradles with the beliefs of our tribe; the record may seem superficial, but it is indelible. You cannot educate a man wholly out of the superstitious fears which were early implanted in his imagination; no matter how utterly his reason may reject them...
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our early beliefs shape who we are, and these ingrained ideas are difficult to change, even with reason.
This quote by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. highlights the profound impact that our early upbringing and cultural beliefs have on our identities and thought processes. It suggests that the ideologies and superstitions that we adopt as children leave a lasting imprint, which can persist into adulthood, making it challenging for individuals to entirely break free from these ingrained notions, regardless of their reasoning capabilities. Holmes underscores the struggle between our rational thoughts and deeply rooted beliefs, emphasizing the resilience of our formative influences.
Themes
BeliefsTribeEducationSuperstitionInfluence
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the influence of culture on personal beliefs.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
All quotes →Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
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The very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
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Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
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Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
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Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
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