To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs.
Aldous HuxleyRead
Facts are ventriloquist’s dummies. Sitting on a wise man’s knee they may be made to utter words of wisdom; elsewhere, they say nothing, or talk nonsense, or indulge in sheer diabolism.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Facts can be manipulated to convey wisdom when guided by a knowledgeable person, but without context, they may lead to misunderstandings.
This quote by Aldous Huxley emphasizes the idea that facts alone are meaningless without the insight and wisdom of a knowledgeable person to interpret them. Just like ventriloquist's dummies which can speak only when controlled, facts need interpretation; in the wrong hands, they may lead to confusion or misrepresentation.
Themes
FactsWisdomInterpretationKnowledgeUnderstanding
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about climate change, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of knowledgeable interpretation of scientific facts.
More from Aldous Huxley
All quotes →Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.
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In the course of history many more people have died for their drink and their dope than have died for their religion or their country.
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On no account brood over your wrongdoing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.
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No man ever dared to manifest his boredom so insolently as does a Siamese tomcat when he yawns in the face of his amorously importunate wife.
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The leech's kiss, the squid's embrace, The prurient ape's defiling touch: And do you like the human race? No, not much.
Aldous HuxleyRead
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