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“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested.”
Not every book deserves the same kind of attention; readers should match effort and depth to the value and purpose of the work.
Source note: Essay “Of Studies”; Bacon distinguishes different depths and purposes of reading.
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“All men by nature desire to know.”
Aristotle treats the desire for knowledge as a basic human tendency, giving curiosity a foundational place in the movement from perception toward understanding.
Source note: Metaphysics, Book I, chapter 1, W. D. Ross translation; the work opens with this claim before discussing sensation, memory, experience, art, and knowledge.
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“Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers.”
Facts can be acquired quickly, while judgment develops more slowly through reflection and experience.
Source note: Poem “Locksley Hall”; the contrast distinguishes readily acquired knowledge from the slower development of judgment and wisdom.
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“He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.”
Understanding a position requires serious contact with competing arguments; familiarity with only one side can produce confidence without real comprehension.
Source note: On Liberty, Chapter 2; Mill argues for open discussion because opposing views expose weaknesses and sharpen understanding.
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“Happy is the man that findeth wisdom, and the man that getteth understanding.”
Happiness is connected with gaining wisdom and understanding, suggesting that a good life depends on discernment as well as circumstance.
Source note: Proverbs 3:13 in the King James Version; the verse begins a passage praising the value of wisdom.
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“Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
Study and reflection are treated as partners: information without examination is shallow, while speculation without learning can drift away from reality.
Source note: Analects 2:15 in James Legge’s translation; the saying balances study with independent reflection.