QuoteProject
When an uninstructed multitude attempts to see with its eyes, it is exceedingly apt to be deceived.
Nathaniel Hawthorne
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

People who lack knowledge are often easily misled by appearances.

This quote by Nathaniel Hawthorne highlights the dangers of relying solely on what is seen without proper understanding or instruction. It suggests that without critical thinking and education, individuals can fall prey to deception, as appearances can be misleading and do not always convey the true nature of reality.

Themes

DeceptionKnowledgeUnderstandingPerceptionWisdom

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the importance of education, this quote can remind us to look beyond appearances.

More from Nathaniel Hawthorne

Love, whether newly born, or aroused from a deathlike slumber, must always create sunshine, filling the heart so full of radiance, this it overflows upon the outward world.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
A bodily disease which we look upon as whole and entire within itself, may after all, be but a symptom of some ailment in the spiritual part.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
All merely graceful attributes are usually the most evanescent.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
There is so much wretchedness in the world, that we may safely take the word of any mortal professing to need our assistance; and, even should we be deceived, still the good to ourselves resulting from a kind act is worth more than the trifle by which we purchase it.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
Let men tremble to win the hand of woman, unless they win along with it the utmost passion of her heart! Else it may be their miserable fortune, when some mightier touch than their own may have awakened all her sensibilities, to be reproached even for the calm content, the marble image of happiness, which they will have imposed upon her as the warm reality.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead
The thing you set your mind on is the thing you ultimately become.
Nathaniel HawthorneRead

Similar quotes

Don't be insecure, if your heart is pure
Lady GagaRead
Every problem is a gift - without problems we would not grow.
Tony RobbinsRead
Counseling has to do with intuition, with work on oneself, with the quietness of one's mind and the openness of one's heart.
Ram DassRead
When a person doesn't have gratitude, something is missing in his or her humanity. A person can almost be defined by his or her attitude toward gratitude.
Elie WieselRead
I had become wealthy as an art dealer, but my life was never rich until I began serving in a mission and began being blessed by those that were basically hopeless. To see them have hope was the biggest blessing in my life.
Ron HallRead
Cherish your solitude. Take trains by yourself to places you have never been. Sleep out alone under the stars. Learn how to drive a stick shift. Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back. Say no when you don’t want to do something. Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees. Decide whether you want to be liked or admired. Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you’re doing here. Believe in kissing.
Eve EnslerRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.