A traveller at Sparta, standing long upon one leg, said to a Lacedaemonian, "I do not believe you can do as much." "True," said he, "but every goose can."
Interpretation
The quote highlights the difference between mere physical ability and the value of skill or effort.
In this quote, Plutarch contrasts the actions of a man trying to impress with his balance against the simplistic ability of a goose, which can stand on one leg without any deeper significance. It serves as a reminder that not all abilities are valuable or worthy of admiration, often pointing out that effort and understanding should take precedence over superficial accomplishments.
In practice
Use this quote to illustrate a point in a discussion about true talent versus superficial skills.
Sometimes small incidents, rather than glorious exploits, give us the best evidence of character. So, as portrait painters are more exact in doing the face, where the character is revealed, than the rest of the body, I must be allowed to give my more particular attention to the marks of the souls of men.
It were better to have no opinion of God at all than such a one as is unworthy of him; for the one is only belief - the other contempt.
Come back with your shield - or on it
The richest soil, if uncultivated, produces the rankest weeds.
For the correct analogy for the mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but wood that needs igniting.
Our senses through ignorance of Reality, falsely tell us that what appears to be, is. FEAR = False Evidence Appearing Real
The common man is not concerned about the passage of time, the man of talent is driven by it.
We cannot truly plan, because we do not understand the future-but this is not necessarily a bad news. We could plan while bearing in mind such limitations. It just takes guts.
I've learned that many of the worst things lead to the best things, that no great thing is achieved without a couple of bad, bad things on the way to them, and that the bad things that happen to you bring, in some cases, the good things.
I am glad there are things in the Bible I do not understand. If I could take that book up and read it as I would any other book, I might think I could write a book like that.
Every man feels instinctively that all the beautiful sentiments in the world weigh less than a single lovely action.
Faced with information overload, we have no alternative but pattern-recognition.
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