"But the power of instruction is seldom of much efficacy, except in those happy dispositions where it is almost superfluous"

Edward Gibbon reflects on the limitations of instruction in shaping individuals, suggesting that teaching alone rarely produces significant results. The effectiveness of instruction, he implies, is conditional—it yields little real change or growth except in those individuals who are already naturally inclined to learn. These rare "happy dispositions" refer to people whose inherent curiosity, motivation, or talent make them receptive and eager to absorb new knowledge. Ironically, in such individuals, the very traits that make them responsive students often mean they would flourish regardless of formal instruction; teaching is almost "superfluous", or unnecessary, because their internal drive propels them onward.

Gibbon’s observation exposes an enduring tension in education between nurture and nature. While teaching methods and curricula can be refined and resources multiplied, the fundamental receptivity of the student often determines the outcome. He challenges the notion that all people can be similarly improved through education, positing that some possess a native aptitude or an innate thirst for knowledge that cannot be instilled from without. For those lacking this inner drive, external efforts to instruct may have limited or only superficial effects.

This perspective does not wholly deny the value of instruction; rather, it highlights its dependency on the qualities of the learner. Gibbon invites us to consider the interplay between the internal capacities of individuals and the external mechanisms of teaching. The success of education, in his view, lies less in the skill of the instructor or the quality of the materials than in the character and disposition of the student. The loftiest teaching, he implies, cannot compensate for apathy or a lack of natural inclination.

His reflections encourage humility and realism about the transformative power of education, reminding us that while teaching can facilitate learning, it cannot substitute for passion, curiosity, or the happy disposition that makes growth almost inevitable.