To think well and to consent to obey someone giving good advice are the same thing.
Interpretation
Thinking critically and following wise advice are intertwined actions.
Herodotus suggests that true wisdom lies not only in the ability to think critically and evaluate ideas but also in the willingness to accept and follow sound advice. This interconnectedness implies that recognizing good counsel reflects a deep understanding and appreciation for wise judgment, making obedience to it a logical reflection of one's own capacity for thought.
In practice
This quote is perfect for a discussion on the importance of mentoring in leadership roles.
The Scythians take kannabis seed, creep in under the felts, and throw it on the red-hot stones. It smolders and sends up such billows of steam-smoke that no Greek vapor bath can surpass it. The Scythians howl with joy in these vapor-baths, which serve them instead of bathing, for they never wash their bodies with water.
The man who has planned badly, if fortune is on his side, may have had a stroke of luck; but his plan was a bad one nonetheless.
Men trust their ears less than their eyes.
Great deeds are usually wrought at great risks.
The worst pain a man can have is to know much and be impotent to act.
All men's gains are the fruit of venturing.
When intelligent people pride themselves on not understanding, it is quite natural they should succeed better than fools.
Economists have allowed themselves to walk into a trap where we say we can forecast, but no serious economist thinks we can. You don't expect dentists to be able to forecast how many teeth you'll have when you're 80. You expect them to give good advice and fix problems.
There is happiness in the love of labor, there is misery in the love of gain.
If a man's fortune does not fit him, it is like the shoe in the story; if too large it trips him up, if too small it pinches him.
Use the smallest word that does the job.
Some people believe holding on and hanging in there are signs of great strength. However, there are times when it takes much more strength to know when to let go and then do it.
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