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
To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination.
Interpretation
What this quote means
A promising youth is balanced in both critical thinking and imagination.
Quintilian suggests that a young person who shows more critical thinking ability than imagination may not reach their full potential. The quote emphasizes the importance of nurturing both faculties for a well-rounded development in education and personal growth.
Themes
EducationImaginationCritical ThinkingPotentialYouth
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about teaching methods, one might quote Quintilian to advocate for creative approaches to learning.
More from Quintilian
All quotes βAs regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone.
QuintilianRead
Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
QuintilianRead
A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
QuintilianRead
An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity.
QuintilianRead
It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
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