Common sense (which, in truth, is very uncommon) is the best sense I know of: abide by it; it will counsel you best.
Lord ChesterfieldRead
The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
We gain true understanding of the world through personal experience rather than descriptions.
This quote by Lord Chesterfield emphasizes the importance of firsthand experience in truly understanding the complexities of the world. It suggests that mere descriptions or secondhand accounts are insufficient for knowledge, and one must engage directly with their surroundings to gain real insight and knowledge.
Themes
ExperienceTravelUnderstandingKnowledgeExploration
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to encourage students to explore the world.
More from Lord Chesterfield
All quotes →Never seem wiser, nor more learned, than the people you are with. Wear your learning, like your watch, in a private pocket: and do not merely pull it out and strike it; merely to show that you have one.
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If you can once engage people's pride, love, pity, ambition on your side, you need not fear what their reason can do against you.
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Merit and knowledge will not gain hearts, though they will secure them when gained.
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Firmness of purpose is one of the best instruments of success.
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Wit is so shining a quality that everybody admires it; most people aim at it, all people fear it, and few love it unless in themselves. A man must have a good share of wit himself to endure a great share of it in another.
Lord ChesterfieldRead
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