He promoted the education of the parish clergy and wrote: He seems to me a very foolish man, and very wretched, who will not increase his understanding while he is in the world, and ever wish and long to reach that endless life where all shall be made clear.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and understanding in life.
Alfred the Great highlights the folly of neglecting one’s education and growth during life, arguing that seeking knowledge is essential to prepare oneself for the afterlife, where clarity and understanding are fully realized. He suggests that a person who does not strive to learn while alive is missing a vital aspect of existence and is therefore wretched.
In practice
In a speech about lifelong learning, one might refer to this quote to inspire others to continue their education.
Some who support [more] coercive strategies assume that children will run wild if they are not controlled. However, the children for whom this is true typically turn out to be those accustomed to being controlled— those who are not trusted, given explanations, encouraged to think for themselves, helped to develop and internalize good values, and so on. Control breeds the need for more control, which is used to justify the use of control.
I got a scholarship to Seattle University and I was writing arrangements for singers and everybody. But the music course was too dry and I really wanted to get away from home.
Once you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you.
Mathematics is not a spectator sport!
There should be a class on apartheid. There should be a class on why people are hungry, but there are not. There are classes on...gym. Physical Education.
Teaching sometimes seems like not one profession, but every profession. We ask them to be doctor and diplomat, calf-herder, map-maker, wizard and watchman, electricians of the mind.
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