A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman, of the next generation.
James Freeman ClarkeRead
When I consider what some books have done for the world, and what they are doing, how they keep up our hope, awaken new courage and faith, soothe pain, give an ideal life those whose hours are cold and hard, bind together distant ages and foreign lands, create new worlds of beauty, bring down truth from heaven; I give eternal blessings for this gift, and thank God for books.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Books profoundly impact lives, offering hope, courage, and a connection across time and place.
In this quote, James Freeman Clarke expresses the transformative power of books, highlighting their ability to inspire hope, awaken courage, and provide comfort during difficult times. He celebrates books as a vital gift that connects different eras and cultures, creating a beautiful world of imagination and truth that enriches human experience.
Themes
BooksHopeCourageWisdomEducation
In practice
Example use cases
During a book club meeting, I would quote this to highlight the importance of literature.
More from James Freeman Clarke
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To be ignorant of the lives of the most celebrated men of antiquity is to continue in a state of childhood all our days.
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It's a failure of national vision when you regard children as weapons, and talents as materials you can mine, assay, and fabricate for profit and defense.
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Everyone [in higher education] was what I call drillers of deeper wells. These academics sit at the bottom of a deep well and they look up and see a sliver of the sky. They know everything about that little sliver of sky and nothing else. I scan all my horizons.
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Writing/reading is like visiting another person's brain. And a short book or article is like a short stay. You come in, have a coffee, talk about the weather or sports, and then move on.
Mark MansonRead
The real role of leadership in education ... is not and should not be command and control. The real role of leadership is climate control, creating a climate of possibility.
Ken RobinsonRead
Learning is acquired by reading books; much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading men, and studying all the various editions of them.
Lord ChesterfieldRead