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
Our minds are like our stomaches; they are whetted by the change of their food, and variety supplies both with fresh appetite.
Interpretation
Our minds need diversity and change in ideas to stay engaged and eager for knowledge.
Quintilian's quote suggests that just as our stomachs crave different types of food to remain satisfied, our minds thrive on a variety of experiences and thoughts. Engaging with diverse ideas fosters a continuous appetite for learning and growth, highlighting the importance of diversity in intellectual pursuits.
In practice
In a motivational speech about lifelong learning.
Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
As regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone.
Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity.
It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
It seems like suffering's the only time we can see what's essential. If peace ever comes back I'm making a vow: I'll design myself special glasses. They'll block out whether people are fat or thin or beautiful or weird-looking, whether they have pimples or birthmarks or different coloured skin. They'll do everything suffering's done for us, but without the pain. I'm going to wear those glasses for the rest of my life.
I have been saying for many years that we are using the word 'guru' only because 'charlatan' is too long to fit into a headline.
...I'll continue to see things as a child. It's not so far to fall.
And you very soon find out, if you have not found it out before, that patience and tenacity of purpose are worth more than twice their weight of cleverness.
Self is not liberated. It was never bound. What gets liberated are the demons as well as gods of your mind. Set them free. You are sick of playing with the game. Be willing to not play the game. This takes huge resolve.
Control is illusory. No matter what university you go to, no matter what degree you hold, if your goal is to becomes master of your own destiny, you have more to learn.
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