The great sickness and the grievous evil consist in this…
“The great sickness and the grievous evil consist in this: that all the things that man finds written in books, he presumes to think of as true-and all the more so if the books are old.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
Blind trust in ancient texts can hinder critical thinking.
In simple terms: Question old sources.
Cultivate skeptical inquiry.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Academic research
- education
- policy making
- personal belief systems
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you verify the truth of old writings?
- When should tradition be challenged?
Old texts may contain valuable insights despite their age.