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
Whilst we deliberate how to begin a thing, it grows too late to begin it.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Procrastination can lead to missed opportunities.
Quintilian's quote reflects on the dangers of overthinking and procrastination. It suggests that while we are busy debating when or how to start a task, time slips away and the ideal moment to act may pass us by, emphasizing the importance of timely action.
Themes
ProcrastinationActionTimeOpportunityDecisions
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to encourage students to start their projects early.
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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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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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To my mind the boy who gives least promise is one in whom the critical faculty develops in advance of the imagination.
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