George Fillmore Swain > Quotes

“Education is an opportunity, nothing more. It will not guarantee success, or happiness, or contentment, or riches. Everything depends upon what development is produced by it and what use is made of it. It does not mean morality or usefulness. It may make a man more capable of doing harm in the world, for an educated scoundrel is clearly more dangerous than an ignorant one.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“It is not what is read or what is remembered, but only what is understood, that gives power,”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The student is not an empty vessel to be pumped full of learning; he is a complex machine which education should help to run properly.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“He is to master the book, the book is not to master him.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The true beginning of wisdom is the desire of discipline." —Wisdom of Solomon.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The man just above the line passes, and the man just below the line fails.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“In its broadest sense, the question to be considered is, "How to Investigate a Problem." In doing this the first step is to get together all available information regarding the problem, including books, experimental data and results of experience, and to consider and digest this material. Personal investigations and inquiry, further experimental research, correspondence, travel, etc., may then be necessary. This will be based, however, in general, upon a study of books, and with this part of the subject we are here particularly concerned.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“A wise man knows an ignorant one, because he has been ignorant himself, but the ignorant cannot recognize the wise, because he has never been wise."—Persian Proverb.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

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― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The beginning of wisdom is the knowledge of one's faults.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“[Read much but not many books.]”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“If little labor, little are our gains; Man's fortunes are according to his pains.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The importance of knowing how to study is evident when we realize that the amount of knowledge that a student can acquire in college, compared with the whole mass of human knowledge, even that bearing upon a single specialty, is entirely insignificant; and furthermore, that a student is generally quite unable to foresee with any degree of correctness what his work in life will be. Unless, therefore, his education has enabled him to take up a new subject or a new problem and to study and master it himself—that is to say, unless he has learned how to study, how to use his mind properly and to direct it efficiently upon the subject in hand—his education may have benefited him little and may not have fitted him for the career in which he finally finds himself.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The mind does not need idleness, but it does need change of occupation.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The first essential is that the student should have the proper mental attitude. That attitude should not be one of subservience, of blind believing, but should be one of mental courage and determination.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The beginning of wisdom is the knowledge of one's faults." —Epicurus.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth correction; But he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“Multum legere non multa." [Read much but not many books.]”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The true order of learning should be first, what is necessary; second, what is useful; and third, what is ornamental. To reverse this arrangement is like beginning to build at the top of the edifice.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him. He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child; teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise; follow him.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The only real education is self-education. The best that the teacher can do for the student is to show him what he can do for himself and how he can do it.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; Reprove a wise man and he will love thee." —Proverbs.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“The importance of systematic classification is very great. The minds of many students are like a library without arrangement or catalogue; the books may be there, but cannot be found when wanted, and so are valueless for use.[”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“we should "think with the learned and speak with the vulgar." If”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“proverb says: "He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool; shun him. He who knows not, and knows that he knows not, is a child; teach him. He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep; wake him. He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise; follow him.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“We must not only state the truth, but the cause of the untrue statement; this is an element in our belief; for when it is made apparent why a statement not true appears to be true, our belief in the truth is confirmed.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“when young children in school recite poetry at class-day exercises, it is almost certain that they do not understand the meaning of many of the words they use. Thus, it happens that they come into the habit of using words and phrases without carefully examining their meanings. This tendency should be counteracted from the earliest stage. The child should be continually asked the meanings of words which it uses, and should be encouraged itself to inquire as to those meanings and to take the proper mental attitude. The use of the dictionary should be insisted upon even from an early age, the object being to avoid the formation of the habit of using words or phrases unintelligently, which is one of the worst habits that one can acquire.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“Education is an opportunity, nothing more. It will not guarantee success, or happiness, or contentment, or riches. Everything depends upon what development is produced by it and what use is made of it. It does not mean morality or usefulness. It may make a man more capable of doing harm in the world, for an educated scoundrel is clearly more dangerous than an ignorant one. Properly”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“In this quest of knowledge ... there are two faults to be shunned—one, the taking of unknown things for known, and giving an assent to them too hastily, which fault he who wishes to escape (and all ought so to wish) will give time and diligence to reflect on the subjects proposed for his consideration. The other fault is that some bestow too great zeal and too much labor on things obscure and difficult, and at the same time useless."—Cicero: de Officiis.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study

“Who reads Incessantly, and to his reading brings not A spirit and judgment equal or superior Uncertain and unsettled still remains, Deep versed in books, and shallow in himself.”
― George Fillmore Swain, How to study