It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercourse with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours.
William Ellery ChanningRead
Influence is to be measured, not by the extent of surface it covers, but by its kind.
Interpretation
What this quote means
True influence is about the quality of impact rather than the quantity of reach.
William Ellery Channing's quote emphasizes that influence should not be judged by how many people it touches superficially, but rather by the depth and significance of the connections made. It suggests that a profound impact on a few can be far more meaningful than a shallow effect on many individuals.
Themes
InfluenceImpactQualityDepthConnections
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a presentation about leadership styles, emphasizing the importance of meaningful relationships.
More from William Ellery Channing
All quotes βNo power in society, no hardship in your condition can depress you, keep you down, in knowledge, power, virtue, influence, but by your own consent.
William Ellery ChanningRead
I laugh, for hope hath a happy place with me; If my boat sinks, 'tis to another sea.
William Ellery ChanningRead
We smile at the ignorance of the savage who cuts down the tree in order to reach its fruit; but the same blunder is made by every person who is over eager and impatient in the pursuit of pleasure.
William Ellery ChanningRead
Every mind was made for growth, for knowledge, and its nature is sinned against when it is doomed to ignorance.
William Ellery ChanningRead
He who is false to the present duty breaks a thread in the loom, and you will see the effect when the weaving of a life-time is unraveled.
William Ellery ChanningRead
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