Of all the actions of a man's life, his marriage does least concern other people, yet of all the actions of our lives, 'tis the most meddled with by other people.
John SeldenRead
We pick out a text here and there to make it serve our turn; whereas , if we take it all together, and considered what went before and what followed after, we should find it meant no such thing.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote highlights the tendency to selectively interpret information to fit our agendas, rather than considering the broader context.
John Selden's quote points to the human inclination to pick and choose from texts or statements to support our own views or arguments. He warns that by doing this, we often overlook the full context, which can lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations. By recognizing the importance of context—the surrounding text and the ideas that precede and follow—we can arrive at a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of the meaning intended by the author.
Themes
ContextInterpretationMeaningUnderstandingPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about literature, one might quote Selden to emphasize the importance of considering the entire work rather than isolated excerpts.
More from John Selden
All quotes →They that govern the most make the least noise.
John SeldenRead
All things are God's already; we can give him no right, by consecrating any, that he had not before, only we set it apart to his service - just as a gardener brings his master a basket of apricots, and presents them; his lord thanks him, and perhaps gives him something for his pains, and yet the apricots were as much his lord's before as now.
John SeldenRead
Ignorance of the law excuses no man; not that all men know the law, but because 'tis an excuse every man will plead, and no man can tell how to refute him.
John SeldenRead
Pleasures are all alike simply considered in themselves: he that hunts, or he that governs the commonwealth, they both please themselves alike, only we commend that, whereby we ourselves receive some benefit.
John SeldenRead
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