Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
QuintilianRead
A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Humor should not come at the cost of moral integrity.
This quote by Quintilian emphasizes the importance of virtue over the pursuit of laughter. It suggests that while humor is valuable, it should never be derived from actions that compromise one's integrity or moral values.
Themes
LaughVirtueIntegrityWisdomHumor
In practice
Example use cases
In a seminar on ethics, to illustrate the importance of maintaining virtue, this quote could be used.
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To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination.
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