As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
William ShakespeareRead
Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise.
Interpretation
Having a small amount of doubt can help guide wise decisions.
This quote suggests that a reasonable level of doubt can serve as a guiding light for those who are wise. It implies that questioning and being open to uncertainty are crucial for deeper understanding and better decision-making, as wisdom often comes from considering multiple perspectives and recognizing the limitations of one's knowledge.
In practice
In a classroom discussion about critical thinking, this quote can emphasize the importance of doubt in learning.
As honour, love, obedience, troops of friends, / I must not look to have; but, in their stead, / Curses, not loud but deep, mouth-honour, breath, / Which the poor heart would fain deny, and dare not" (5.3.25-28).
Love bears it out even to the edge of doom.
Good company, good wine, good welcome, can make good people.
Absence doth sharpen love, presence strengthens it; the one brings fuel, the other blows it till it burns clear.
Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!
Give it an understanding, but no tongue.
I do not know of any, excepting the unpardonable sin, that is greater than the sin of ingratitude.
Of all whose words I have heard, no one attains to this, to know that wisdom is apart from all.
If ever we are going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed; you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed. I wonder what kind of finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you, and you have been like a marble and escaped?
Do not be jealous of others' good qualities, but out of admiration adopt them yourself.
What seems new is only new to us.
The easiest way to solve a problem is to deny it exists.
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