What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The wheels are turning, but the hamsters are all dead. Make it idiot-proof and someone will make a better idiot. I learned long ago, never to wrestle with a pig, you get dirty; and besides, the pig likes it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote humorously critiques ineffectiveness in processes and the futility of engaging with certain types of people.
George Bernard Shaw's quote encapsulates the idea that while efforts may be underway ('the wheels are turning'), they're often misguided or inefficient ('the hamsters are all dead'). He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the absurdities in trying to simplify tasks for the incompetent ('make it idiot-proof'), as it can lead to even more foolishness. Furthermore, the analogy of wrestling with a pig highlights the futility and the inevitable mess that comes from engaging in pointless arguments with those who revel in them; the pig enjoys the mud of debate, while the other party ends up dirty and frustrated.
Themes
AbsurdityFutilityHumorEngagementArgument
In practice
Example use cases
In a humorous speech about corporate inefficiencies.
More from George Bernard Shaw
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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