The Greeks possessed a knowledge of human nature we seem hardly able to attain to without passing through the strengthening hibernation of a new barbarism.
Georg C. LichtenbergRead
To grow wiser means to learn to know better and better the faults to which this instrument with which we feel and judge can be subject.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Gaining wisdom involves recognizing and understanding the limitations of our judgment and perception.
This quote expresses that true wisdom is not merely about acquiring knowledge, but rather about developing a deep awareness of our own faults and biases as we navigate through life. It highlights the importance of introspection and self-awareness in refining our judgment and enhancing our understanding of the world around us.
Themes
WisdomKnowledgeSelf-AwarenessJudgmentFaults
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal growth at a seminar
More from Georg C. Lichtenberg
All quotes βMany things about our bodies would not seem to us so filthy and obscene if we did not have the idea of nobility in our heads.
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The thoughts written on the walls of madhouses by their inmates might be worth publicizing.
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The noble simplicity in the works of nature only too often originates in the noble shortsightedness of him who observes it.
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Food probably has a very great influence on the condition of men. Wine exercises a more visible influence, food does it more slowly but perhaps just as surely. Who knows if a well-prepared soup was not responsible for the pneumatic pump or a poor one for a war?
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