Consequently the student who is devoid of talent will derive no more profit from this work than barren soil from a treatise on agriculture.
QuintilianRead
Virtue, though she gets her beginning from nature, yet receives her finishing touches from learning.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Virtue is nurtured by both natural instincts and learned behavior.
This quote by Quintilian emphasizes the dual role that nature and education play in the development of virtue. While the foundation of virtuous character may come from innate qualities, it is through learning and experience that these qualities are refined and perfected, highlighting the importance of education in moral development.
Themes
VirtueEducationLearningNatureCharacter
In practice
Example use cases
Using the quote to open a discussion on the importance of moral education in schools.
More from Quintilian
All quotes →As regards parents, I should like to see them as highly educated as possible, and I do not restrict this remark to fathers alone.
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Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
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A laugh costs too much when bought at the expense of virtue.
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An evil-speaker differs from an evil-doer only in the want of opportunity.
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It is the nurse that the child first hears, and her words that he will first attempt to imitate.
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