Jonathan D. Spence > Quotes > Quote > Kelly liked it

“If you want to really know something you have to observe or experience it in person; if you claim to know something on the basis of hearsay, or on happening to see it in a book, you'll be a laughingstock to those who really know.”
― Jonathan D. Spence, Emperor of China: Self-portrait of K'ang-Hsi: Self-Portrait of K'ang-Hsi