Alain-de-botton Quote by Alain de Botton
““Academic masochism reflects a metaphysical prejudice that the truth should be a hard-won treasure, that what is read or learnt easily must therefore be flighty and inconsequential. The truth should be like a mount to be scaled, it is dangerous, obscure and demanding. Under the light of the library reading room, the academics' motto reads: the more a text makes me suffer, the truer it must be.””
About This Quote
The belief that truth must be hard-won makes scholars favor difficult, obscure texts, equating ease of understanding with superficiality.
In simple terms: Hard work is seen as proof of truth.
Key Takeaway
Question the link between difficulty and truth.
Themes
education
truth
effort
Mood
analytical
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
critical.
When to use this quote
- academic research
- learning strategies
- critical thinking
- teaching methods
Key Concepts
epistemology
philosophy
Questions to Reflect On
- Do you value a concept because it’s challenging?
- How can you recognize truth in simplicity?
A Different Perspective
Easy-to-grasp ideas can be profound; difficulty doesn’t guarantee depth.
![“It seems to me one cannot sit down in that place [the Round Reading room of the British Museum] without a heart full of grateful reverence. I own to have said my grace at the table, and to have thanked Heaven for my English birthright, freely to partake of these beautiful books, and speak the…” quote by William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/21d/william-makepeace-thackeray-74_beautiful_it-seems-to-me-one-cannot-sit-down-in-th_291707.jpg)
