"The experience gathered from books, though often valuable, is but the nature of learning; whereas the experience gained from actual life is one of the nature of wisdom"
- Samuel Smiles
About this Quote
This quote by Samuel Smiles speaks to the significance of getting knowledge and wisdom from both books and life experience. He suggests that understanding acquired from books is valuable, but it is limited in its scope. On the other hand, the experience got from actual life is far more thorough and supplies a higher understanding of the world. Smiles is emphasizing the value of learning from both books and life experience in order to get a more total understanding of the world. He is recommending that understanding gained from books is very important, however it needs to not be the only source of learning. Life experience is also necessary in order to get knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world.
"Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"
"Raising children is an incredibly hard and risky business in which no cumulative wisdom is gained: each generation repeats the mistakes the previous one made"
