"He did not arrive at this conclusion by the decent process of quiet, logical deduction, nor yet by the blinding flash of glorious intuition, but by the shoddy, untidy process halfway between the two by which one usually gets to know things"

This quote is describing the process of getting knowledge. It recommends that understanding is not generally gotten through rational reduction or intuition, but rather through a more haphazard process. This procedure is referred to as being "substandard" and "messy", implying that it is not a reputable or efficient method of getting knowledge. It is also described as being "midway between the 2" recommending that it is neither logical nor user-friendly, however a combination of the two. This quote suggests that knowledge is frequently gained through trial and error, and that it is not constantly an uncomplicated process. It also recommends that knowledge is typically acquired through experience, instead of through rational deduction or instinct.