"Frivolity is inborn, conceit acquired by education"
- Cicero
About this Quote
This quote by Cicero suggests that frivolity (or the propensity to be unimportant, or doing not have in severity or depth) is a natural inclination or tendency that people are born with. On the other hand, pomposity (or too much pride in oneself or one's abilities) is something that is found out or gotten via education and learning and also experience.
Cicero may be suggesting that it is possible for people to come to be a lot more humble and much less conceited via education and learning as well as self-reflection, whereas frivolity might be more difficult to alter or overcome. In addition, the quote suggests that education and learning can be a double-edged sword-- while it can expand our knowledge and understanding, it can additionally grow adverse top qualities such as pomposity if one is not mindful.
"I spent three days a week for 10 years educating myself in the public library, and it's better than college. People should educate themselves - you can get a complete education for no money. At the end of 10 years, I had read every book in the library and I'd written a thousand stories"
