"He who has seen one cathedral ten times has seen something; he who has seen ten cathedrals once has seen but little; and he who has spent half an hour in each of a hundred cathedrals has seen nothing at all"

In this quote, Sinclair Lewis discuss the theme of the depth versus breadth of experience. The quote suggests that the depth of one's engagement often supplies more substantial understanding than the mere breadth of it.

The first part of the quote, "He who has actually seen one cathedral ten times has seen something", suggests that reviewing the very same topic or place numerous times enables a much deeper, more nuanced gratitude. With each visit to the cathedral, one notices brand-new details, gains more extensive insights, or understands different elements of its history, architecture, and atmosphere. This mirrors the wider concept that duplicated and lengthened engagement with a topic results in mastery or a richer grasp of it.

On the other hand, the subsequent sector, "he who has actually seen 10 cathedrals as soon as has actually seen but bit", recommends that spreading one's attention too very finely over several subjects or places can cause superficial understanding. Each go to is fleeting, offering only a cursory glimpse and hence stopping working to provide the chance to value or comprehend any single cathedral totally. This part of the quote underscores the idea that simply building up experiences or understanding ostensibly can typically be hollow or limited in worth.

The last portion, "he who has spent half an hour in each of a hundred cathedrals has seen nothing at all", reinforces this argument by worrying the futility of collecting experiences without significant engagement. By suggesting that such a comprehensive yet shallow approach is comparable to seeing "absolutely nothing at all", Lewis highlights the importance of taking some time to dig deeply into less topics rather than skimming the surface of many.

In essence, Lewis champions the worth of depth over breadth concerning experiences and learning. This quote can serve as a tip to look for meaningful engagement in our pursuits instead of a mere build-up of experiences, promoting for depth to cultivate real understanding and gratitude.