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We are made wise not by the recollection of our past, but by the responsibility for our future.
George Bernard Shaw
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True wisdom comes from our commitment to the future rather than merely reflecting on the past.

George Bernard Shaw implies that wisdom is not solely derived from our memories or experiences, but rather from the active responsibility we take for shaping our future. This shift in focus encourages proactive thinking and accountability, suggesting that it is our intentions and actions moving forward that define our wisdom.

Themes

WisdomFutureResponsibilityGrowthAccountability

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be used in a motivational speech to inspire students to take charge of their future.

More from George Bernard Shaw

What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
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Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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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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