We call those poets who are first to mark, Through earth's dull mist the coming of the dawn, Who see in twilight's gloom the first pale spark, While others only note that day is gone.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Every real thought on every real subject knocks the wind out of somebody or other.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that every significant idea challenges someone's beliefs or perceptions.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. implies that meaningful thoughts and discussions inherently provoke strong reactions, often because they confront established views or discomfort. This dynamic reflects the tension between new insights and existing assumptions, indicating that true intellectual engagement can be both enlightening and disruptive.
Themes
ThoughtChallengeTruthIdeasPerception
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate, one might use this quote to highlight the importance of challenging popular opinions.
More from Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.
All quotes βThe very aim and end of our institutions is just this: that we may think what we like and say what we think.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Don't you stay at home of evenings? Don't you love a cushioned seat in a corner, by the fireside, with your slippers on your feet?
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Sin has many tools, but a lie is the handle which fits them all.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently and the pattern will come out all right like the embroidery.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Do not be bullied out of your common sense by the specialist; two to one, he is a pedant.
Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.Read
Similar quotes
Some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.
William ShakespeareRead
The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.
Milton FriedmanRead
Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it.
Khalil GibranRead
To all those who have suffered as a consequence of our troubled past I extend my sincere thoughts and deep sympathy. With the benefit of historical hindsight we can all see things which we would wish had been done differently or not at all.
Queen Elizabeth IiRead
From an evolutionary standpoint, human consciousness has not been around very long. A little light just went on after four and a half billion years. How often does that happen? Maybe it is quite rare.
Elon MuskRead
When you kill a man, you steal a life. You steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness.
Khaled HosseiniRead