--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is no greater mistake in life than…" description: "\"“There is no greater mistake in life than seeing things or hearing them at the wrong time. Shakespeare is ruined for most people by having been made to..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/agatha-christie-154_failure_there-is-no-greater-mistake-in-life-than_486045.jpg" --- # There is no greater mistake in life than seeing things or… ![“There is no greater mistake in life than seeing things or hearing them at the wrong time. Shakespeare is ruined for most people by having been made to learn it at school; you should see Shakespeare as it was written to be seen, played on the stage. There you can appreciate it quite young, long…” quote by Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/agatha-christie-154_failure_there-is-no-greater-mistake-in-life-than_486045.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/agatha-christie-154_failure_there-is-no-greater-mistake-in-life-than_486045.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/agatha-christie-154_failure_there-is-no-greater-mistake-in-life-than_486045.jpg) > ““There is no greater mistake in life than seeing things or hearing them at the wrong time. Shakespeare is ruined for most people by having been made to learn it at school; you should see Shakespeare as it was written to be seen, played on the stage. There you can appreciate it quite young, long before you take in the beauty of the words and of the poetry.”” [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shakespeare is often taught too late and out of context; experiencing it live early reveals its true beauty and poetry. **In simple terms:** Early, live exposure to Shakespeare matters. Key Takeaway Seek live performances to truly grasp classic works. Themes education literature performance accessibility timing Mood enthusiastic curious reflective Type inspirational educational When to use this quote - school curricula - theatre visits - community workshops - personal study Key Concepts pedagogy art appreciation cultural transmission Questions to Reflect On - How can you bring Shakespeare to life at home? - What resources make classic literature relatable? A Different Perspective Live theatre may be inaccessible for some; alternatives needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakespeare/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [I suppose half the time Shakespeare just shoved down anything that came into his head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-g-wodehouse-2/i-suppose-half-the-time-shakespeare-just-shoved-down-anything-that/) [P. G. Wodehouse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-g-wodehouse-2/) > [At my school, Shakespeare wasn't on the syllabus - at least not for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-reilly/at-my-school-shakespeare-wasn-t-on-the-syllabus-at-least-not-for-me/) [Kelly Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-reilly/) > [“The king and the would-be queen,” Ailinn said.  “As it was prophesized, as it was written, as it was seen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-j-stevens/the-king-and-the-would-be-queen-ailinn-said-as-it-was-prophesized-as/) [E.J. Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-j-stevens/) > [It's hard to think that say Shakespeare could have written "The Tempest" when he was young. It seems to be reflective work or retrospective…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-hirsch/it-s-hard-to-think-that-say-shakespeare-could-have-written-the/) [Edward Hirsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-hirsch/) > [“When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He's written "He dies." That's all, nothing more. No fanfare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-weyn/when-king-lear-dies-in-act-v-do-you-know-what-shakespeare-has-written-2/) [Suzanne Weyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-weyn/) > [Had be been Shakespeare, he would then have written Troilus and Cressidato brand the offending sex; but being only a little dog, he began…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-louis-stevenson/had-be-been-shakespeare-he-would-then-have-written-troilus-and/) [Robert Louis Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-louis-stevenson/) > [“When King Lear dies in Act V, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He’s written “He dies.” That’s all, nothing more. No fanfare,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-hoffman/when-king-lear-dies-in-act-v-do-you-know-what-shakespeare-has-written/) [Dustin Hoffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-hoffman/) > [When King Lear dies in act five, do you know what Shakespeare has written? He has written, 'He dies.' No more. No fanfare, no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-weyn/when-king-lear-dies-in-act-five-do-you-know-what-shakespeare-has/) [Suzanne Weyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-weyn/) > [“Infected minds to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/infected-minds-to-their-deaf-pillows-will-discharge-their-secrets/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“The popular conception of any philosophical doctrine is necessarily imperfect, and very generally unjust. Lucretius is often alluded to as an atheistical writer, who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fleeming-jenkin/the-popular-conception-of-any-philosophical-doctrine-is-necessarily/) Fleeming Jenkin > [ “He \[Alexander von Humboldt\] was to science what Shakespeare was to the drama.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-g-ingersoll/he-alexander-von-humboldt-was-to-science-what-shakespeare-was-to-the/) [Robert G. Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-g-ingersoll/) > [“But jealous souls will not be answered so. They are not ever jealous for the cause, But jealous for they’re jealous. It is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/but-jealous-souls-will-not-be-answered-so-they-are-not-ever-jealous/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [ “Well, the thing that I suppose is closest to my heart is Shakespeare. I really am a nerd about Shakespeare, I love it \[laughs\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hiddleston/well-the-thing-that-i-suppose-is-closest-to-my-heart-is-shakespeare-i/) [Tom Hiddleston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hiddleston/) > [“Thou, nature, art my goddess; to thy laws my services are bound... { His second motto, from King Lear by Shakespeare }”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-friedrich-gauss/thou-nature-art-my-goddess-to-thy-laws-my-services-are-bound-his/) [Carl Friedrich Gauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-friedrich-gauss/) > [“Nernst was a great admirer of Shakespeare, and it is said that in a conference concerned with naming units after appropriate persons, he proposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-partington/nernst-was-a-great-admirer-of-shakespeare-and-it-is-said-that-in-a/) J.R. Partington ## More by Agatha Christie > [One must accept the fact that we have only one companion in this world, a companion who accompanies us from the cradle to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/one-must-accept-the-fact-that-we-have-only-one-companion-in-this/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I like to see an angry Englishman," said Poirot. "They are very amusing. The more emotional they feel the less command they have of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-like-to-see-an-angry-englishman-said-poirot-they-are-very-amusing/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Now, as I expect you know, there is nothing more cruel than talk, and there is nothing more difficult to combat. When people say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/now-as-i-expect-you-know-there-is-nothing-more-cruel-than-talk-and/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“A child says ‘Thank God for my good dinner’. What can I say at seventy-five? ‘Thank God for my good life, and for all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/a-child-says-thank-god-for-my-good-dinner-what-can-i-say-at-seventy/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“I'm afraid I always find Shakespeare terribly dreary. All those long scenes where everybody is drunk and it's supposed to be funny.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/i-m-afraid-i-always-find-shakespeare-terribly-dreary-all-those-long/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Either her dream had taken a very odd turn or else - or else Mary had really rushed into the room and had said…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/either-her-dream-had-taken-a-very-odd-turn-or-else-or-else-mary-had/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Every murderer is probably somebody’s old friend,” observed Poirot philosophically. “You cannot mix up sentiment and reason.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/every-murderer-is-probably-somebody-s-old-friend-observed-poirot/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Well, of course, it was not any of my business but you get very queer glimpses of life sometimes, and you can't help speculating…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/well-of-course-it-was-not-any-of-my-business-but-you-get-very-queer/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered. Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell. "My goodness," he cried, "I've only just realized it! That rascal, with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/mr-satterthwaite-looked-cheered-suddenly-an-idea-struck-him-his-jaw/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“The old gentleman refuses to have the telephone which he regards as a device of the devil, and on a par with radio, television,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/the-old-gentleman-refuses-to-have-the-telephone-which-he-regards-as-a/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“That’s how they do it, these girls! Othello charmed Desdemona by telling her stories, but, oh, didn’t Desdemona charm Othello by the way she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/that-s-how-they-do-it-these-girls-othello-charmed-desdemona-by/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [It is ridiculous to set a detective story in New York City. New York City is itself a detective story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/it-is-ridiculous-to-set-a-detective-story-in-new-york-city-new-york/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [“Poirot, watching him, felt suddenly a doubt--an uncomfortable twinge. Was there, here, something that he had missed? Some richness of the spirit? Sadness crept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/poirot-watching-him-felt-suddenly-a-doubt-an-uncomfortable-twinge-was/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [In the midst of life, we are in death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/in-the-midst-of-life-we-are-in-death/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [Then there are some minor points that strike me as suggestive - for instance, the position of Mrs. Hubbard's sponge bag, the name of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/then-there-are-some-minor-points-that-strike-me-as-suggestive-for/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) [Explore all 1,053 Agatha Christie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) ## More Failure quotes > [When you do things they're absolutely right at that time for you and it can always teach you something about yourself. You can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kym-marsh/when-you-do-things-they-re-absolutely-right-at-that-time-for-you-and/) [Kym Marsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kym-marsh/) > [Failures happen. You can't cry over them. You just take it in your stride because you know that you have done your best... Sometimes,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/divya-dutta/failures-happen-you-can-t-cry-over-them-you-just-take-it-in-your/) [Divya Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/divya-dutta/) > [No one is completely unhappy at the failure of his best friend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/no-one-is-completely-unhappy-at-the-failure-of-his-best-friend/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“Rhiannon's Law #28: If you're going to fuck up, be sure to fuck up good and proper. Nothing makes failure acceptable, so you might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/rhiannon-s-law-28-if-you-re-going-to-fuck-up-be-sure-to-fuck-up-good/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Failure is a part of life and you have to learn to deal with it. Failure is something that is part of life's cycle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-powell/failure-is-a-part-of-life-and-you-have-to-learn-to-deal-with-it/) [Colin Powell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-powell/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [First action was a mistake. What about the second? third? fourth and fifth?...Mehn you are bad...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/first-action-was-a-mistake-what-about-the-second-third-fourth-and/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [God's love never fail :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-s-love-never-fail/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Don’t you just hate nights like that, when you think over every mistake you’ve made, every hurt you’ve received, every bit of meanness you’ve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlaine-harris/don-t-you-just-hate-nights-like-that-when-you-think-over-every/) [Charlaine Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlaine-harris/) > [“Our failure to understand another being's inner reality doesn't make that reality any less real, or any less valuable to that being. (p.255)”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathryn-schulz/our-failure-to-understand-another-being-s-inner-reality-doesn-t-make/) [Kathryn Schulz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathryn-schulz/) > [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/) [Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/) > [Don't take too much comfort in the fact that you're successful today because tomorrow could bring failure. There's no surety in life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-savage/don-t-take-too-much-comfort-in-the-fact-that-you-re-successful-today/) [Michael Savage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-savage/) > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [failure in the theater is more public, more brilliant, more unreal than in any other field.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-hellman/failure-in-the-theater-is-more-public-more-brilliant-more-unreal-than/) [Lillian Hellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-hellman/) > [As we are coming to the end of the year, I want you to forget about the past, the failure, the negative thoughts or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-we-are-coming-to-the-end-of-the-year-i-want-you-to-forget-about/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 27,498 Failure quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is no greater mistake in life than seeing things or hearing them at the wrong time. 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