This sense of power is the highest and best of pleasures when the belief on which it is founded is a true belief, and has been fairly earned by investigation.
Interpretation
True enjoyment comes from having earned knowledge through careful investigation.
This quote emphasizes that the feeling of power derived from knowledge is the greatest pleasure, but this power must be anchored in true beliefs that are the result of thorough exploration and inquiry. It suggests that genuine understanding and wisdom emerge from a diligent and honest search for truth.
In practice
This quote can be shared in a philosophy class to ignite discussion about the nature of knowledge.
The aim of scientific thought, then, is to apply past experience to new circumstances; the instrument is an observed uniformity in the course of events. By the use of this instrument it gives us information transcending our experience, it enables us to infer things that we have not seen from things that we have seen; and the evidence for the truth of that information depends on our supposing that the uniformity holds good beyond our experience.
Remember that [scientific thought] is the guide of action; that the truth which it arrives at is not that which we can ideally contemplate without error, but that which we may act upon without fear; and you cannot fail to see that scientific thought is not an accompaniment or condition of human progress, but human progress itself.
Into this, for good or ill, is woven every belief of every man who has speech of his fellows. A awful privilege, and an awful responsibility, that we should help to create the world in which posterity will live.
We may always depend on it that algebra, which cannot be translated into good English and sound common sense, is bad algebra.
It is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence.
Speed is irrelevant if you are going in the wrong direction.
Ignorance and error are necessary to life, like bread and water.
Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability.
The Master said, βIf your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit you will arouse great resentment.
Women should have the true nurse calling, the good of the sick first the second only the consideration of what is their 'place' to do - and that women who want for a housemaid to do this or the charwomen to do that, when the patient is suffering, have not the making of a nurse in them.
At my age, 85, I'm at age where I can look back and derive some conclusions about my actions. My rule has been try to learn, try to understand what happened. Develop the lessons and pass them on.
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