What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
George Bernard ShawRead
You have learnt something. That always feels at first as if you had lost something.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Learning often feels like a loss at first, as it challenges our previous knowledge.
This quote by George Bernard Shaw highlights the paradox of learning: while gaining knowledge is invaluable, it often requires us to let go of old beliefs or understandings, which can feel uncomfortable or like a loss. This discomfort is a natural part of personal growth and development, suggesting that true education involves both the acquisition of new insights and the relinquishment of outdated concepts.
Themes
LearningGrowthKnowledgeExperienceEducation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a graduation speech emphasizing the challenges of learning.
More from George Bernard Shaw
All quotes βMarriage 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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We seek a constitutional amendment to permit voluntary school prayer. God should never have been expelled from America's classrooms in the first place.
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