What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The open mind never acts: when we have done our utmost to arrive at a reasonable conclusion, we still must close our minds for the moment with a snap, and act dogmatically on our conclusions.
Interpretation
What this quote means
An open mind is essential for understanding, but action requires decisiveness.
George Bernard Shaw emphasizes the balance between open-mindedness and decisiveness in decision-making. While it is important to consider different viewpoints and reason through a situation, action requires a certain level of commitment and certainty. Therefore, when it comes to acting on a conclusion, one must sometimes set aside the open-mindedness to decisively pursue a chosen path.
Themes
DecisionOpen MindActionConclusionReasoning
In practice
Example use cases
In a business meeting where diverse opinions are shared, it may be essential to conclude and act based on the consensus.
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Those who talk most about the blessings of marriage and the constancy of its vows are the very people who declare that if the chain were broken and the prisoners left free to choose, the whole social fabric would fly asunder. You cannot have the argument both ways. If the prisoner is happy, why lock him in? If he is not, why pretend that he is?
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Treat a friend as a person who may someday become your enemy; an enemy as a person who may someday become your friend.
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The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.
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