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  ...the importance of literary culture. We are apt to imagine that because we possess many libraries, institutes, and museums, we are making great progress. But such facilities may as often be a hindrance as a help to individual self-culture of the highest kind. The possession of a library, or the free use of it, no more constitutes learning, than the possession of wealth constitutes generosity. Though we undoubtedly possess great facilities it is nevertheless true, as of old, that Wisdom and understanding can only become the possession of individual men by travelling the old road of observation, attention, perseverance, and industry.   The possession of the mere materials of knowledge is something very different from wisdom and understanding, which are reached through a higher kind of discipline than that of reading,--which is often but a mere passive reception of other men's thoughts; there being little or no active effort of mind in the transaction. Then how much of our reading is but the indulgence of a sort of intellectual dram- drinking, imparting a grateful excitement for the moment, without the slightest...   Smiles, Samuel

Excerpt from Self Help; Conduct and Perseverance · This quote is about wisdom · Search on Google Books to find all references and sources for this quotation.

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