Civilization is first of all a moral thing. Without truth, respect for duty, love of neighbor, and virtue, everything is destroyed. The morality of a society is alone the basis of civilization.
Henri Frederic AmielRead
It is by teaching that we teach ourselves, by relating that we observe, by affirming that we examine, by showing that we look, by writing that we think, by pumping that we draw water into the well.
Interpretation
Teaching others is a way to deepen our own understanding and reflect on our knowledge.
This quote by Henri Frederic Amiel emphasizes the cyclical nature of learning and teaching. It suggests that through the act of teaching, we not only impart knowledge but also reinforce and clarify our own understanding. Each action described in the quote highlights the interconnectedness of learning and sharing, illustrating that true comprehension arises from engagement and reflection.
In practice
In a motivational speech about the importance of teaching in personal development.
Civilization is first of all a moral thing. Without truth, respect for duty, love of neighbor, and virtue, everything is destroyed. The morality of a society is alone the basis of civilization.
Man never knows what he wants; he aspires to penetrate mysteries and as soon as he has, wants to re-establish them. Ignorance irritates him and knowledge cloys.
Truth is not only violated by falsehood; it may be equally outraged by silence.
Any landscape is a condition of the spirit.
True love is that which ennobles the personality, fortifies the heart, and sanctifies the existence.
A man must be able to cut a knot, for everything cannot be untied; he must know how to disengage what is essential from the detail in which it is enwrapped, for everything cannot be equally considered; in a word, he must be able to simplify his duties, his business and his life.
A good teacher will appreciate the good qualities of his students. If one good quality is allowed to emerge, a world of good qualities will emerge from that one.
I view it as one of the greatest crimes to shadow the minds of the young with these gloomy superstitions, and with fears of the unknown and the unknowable to poison all their joy in life.
For books I want to keep reading, it's definitely the voice. It must be a voice I've never heard before, and it must have its own particular intelligence. By 'voice,' I don't mean vernacular. It has to have its own particular history and world that it inhabits.
I love the ideals of my country. But I hate that we've been so denied any real knowledge of the world and don't have the education to think clearly, so we vote against our economic interest and believe in our most shallow first thoughts of fear and hatred.
You'll be a poorer person all your life if you don't know some of the great stories and great poems.
We're so preoccupied with protecting children from disappointment and discomfort that we're inadvertently excusing them from growing up.
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