He that reads and grows no wiser seldom suspects his own deficiency, but complains of hard words and obscure sentences, and asks why books are written which cannot be understood.
Interpretation
Reading without critical thinking leads to frustration rather than understanding.
This quote by Samuel Johnson emphasizes that merely reading books is not enough to gain knowledge. If a reader fails to deepen their understanding or reflect on the content, they may wrongly attribute their frustration to the complexity of the texts rather than recognizing their own shortcomings in seeking deeper insights.
In practice
In a book club meeting focused on personal growth, this quote can introduce a discussion on the importance of active reading.
To be of no church is dangerous. Religion, of which the rewards are distant, and which is animated only by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind unless it be invigorated and reimpressed by external ordinances, by stated calls to worship, and the salutary influence of example.
To let friendship die away by negligence and silence is certainly not wise. It is voluntarily to throw away one of the greatest comforts of the weary pilgrimage.
Fly-fishing may be a very pleasant amusement; but angling or float fishing I can only compare to a stick and a string, with a worm at one end and a fool at the other.
When any anxiety or gloom of the mind takes hold of you, make it a rule not to publish it by complaining; but exert yourselves to hide it, and by endeavoring to hide it you drive it away.
A fishing rod is a stick with a hook at one end and a fool at the other.
All severity that does not tend to increase good, or prevent evil, is idle.
When her muzzle grew more white than brown, the chipmunk forgot that she and the squirrel had had nothing to talk about. She forgot the definition of "jazz" as well and came to think of it as every beautiful thing she had ever failed to appreciate: the taste of warm rain; the smell of a baby; the din of a swollen river, rushing past her tree and onward to infinity.
You are old Father William,' the young man said, 'and your hair has become very white; and yet you incessantly stand on your head-do you think, at your age, it is right?
Humility is a flower which does not grow in everyone's garden.
Risks must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
if we focus on what's ugly, we attract more ugliness into our thoughts, and then into our emotions, and ultimately into our lives
What do years have to do with age?
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.