Inspirational Quotes on Learning

“I have seldom seen much ostentation and much learning met together. The sun, rising and declining, makes long shadows; at mid day, when he is highest, none at all.”

“Learning hath gained most by those books by which the printers have lost.”

“Just at this point of my progress, Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words, further, he said, "If you give a [n****r] an inch, he will take an ell. A [n****r] should know nothing but to obey his master--to do as he is told to do. Learning would the best [n****r] in the world. Now," said he, "if you teach that [n****r] (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.”

“A man of great memory without learning hath a rock and a spindle and no staff to spin.”

“Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centered nature.”

“Learning makes a man fit company for himself.”

“If you read a piece of text through twenty times, you will not learn it by heart so easily as if you read it ten times while attempting to recite from time to time and consulting the text when your memory fails.”

“Is life not full of opportunities for learning love? Every man and woman every day has a thousand of them. The world is not a playground; it is a schoolroom. Life is not a holiday, but an education. And the one eternal lesson for us all is how better we can love.”

“After learning to love God (worship), learning to love others is the second purpose of your life.”

“Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks.”

“If thou desire to profit, read with humility, simplicity, and faithfulness; nor even desire the repute of learning.”

“It is a little learning, and but a little, which makes men conclude hastily. Experience and humility teach modesty and fear.”

“Do not be influenced by the importance of the writer, and whether his learning be great or small, but let the love of pure truth draw you to read. Do not inquire, Who said this? but pay attention to what is said.”

“To be proud of learning is the greatest ignorance.”

“An humble knowledge of thyself is a surer way to God than a deep search after learning.”

“Every perfection in this life has some imperfection mixed with it and no learning of ours is without some darkness. Humble knowledge of self is a surer path to God than the ardent pursuit of learning. Not that learning is to be considered evil, or knowledge, which is good in itself and so ordained by God; but a clean conscience and virtuous life ought always to be preferred. Many often err and accomplish little or nothing because they try to become learned rather than to live well.” ~ Thomas à Kempis (1380–1471); Imitation of Christ; Chapter 3”

“The best learning I had came from teaching.”

“No man is the wiser for his learning; it may administer matter to work in, or objects to work upon; but wit and wisdom are born with a man.”

“That learning which thou gettest by thy own observation and experience, is far beyond that which thou gettest by precept; as the knowledge of a traveler exceeds that which is got by reading.”

“We are a long time in learning that all our strength and salvation is in God.”