"The classics are only primitive literature. They belong to the same class as primitive machinery and primitive music and primitive medicine"
- Stephen Leacock
About this Quote
This quote by Stephen Leacock is referring to the classics, or works of literature that are considered to be of excellent value and have stood the test of time. He is recommending that these works are primitive in comparison to modern literature, machinery, music, and medication. He is suggesting that the classics are dated and no longer pertinent in today's world. He is likewise suggesting that the developments in technology and knowledge have actually made the classics outdated. This quote is a reminder that while the classics are essential and must be appreciated, they ought to not be viewed as the only source of understanding and need to not be held up as the only standard of quality. Rather, we need to strive to create new works of literature, machinery, music, and medicine that are just as crucial and relevant as the classics.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away"
