What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote emphasizes the value of being unconventional and challenging the status quo for progress.
George Bernard Shaw's quote suggests that while reasonable individuals tend to conform to the existing world, it's the unreasonable individuals who challenge norms and push boundaries, driving innovation and progress. It highlights the importance of unconventional thinking in achieving significant advancements in society.
Themes
ProgressChangeUnreasonableAdaptationInnovation
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about innovation, one might quote Shaw to encourage creative thinking.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes →Marriage is good enough for the lower classes: they have facilities for desertion that are denied to us.
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Forgive him, for he believes that the customs of his tribe are the laws of nature!
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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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