What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
All this struggling and striving to make the world better is a great mistake. Not that it's wrong to try to improve the world if you know how but simply because struggling and striving are the worst possible ways to go about doing anything!
Interpretation
What this quote means
Striving to improve the world can be counterproductive if approached with struggle and resistance.
George Bernard Shaw suggests that the relentless effort and struggle often associated with trying to make the world a better place may not lead to the desired outcomes. Instead, he emphasizes that understanding the right approaches is crucial, as struggle and striving may hinder rather than help progress.
Themes
StruggleImprovementWorldUnderstandingApproach
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about leadership approaches.
More from George Bernard Shaw
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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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