--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Open your mind to what I shall explain…" description: "\"“Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around it, for it is no learning to understand what one does not retain.”\" — Dante Alighieri" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg" --- # Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around… ![“Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around it, for it is no learning to understand what one does not retain.” quote by Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg) > ““Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around it, for it is no learning to understand what one does not retain.”” [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Understanding requires active engagement; merely hearing is insufficient without personal retention and reflection. **In simple terms:** Learning needs active retention. Key Takeaway Engage deeply with new ideas. Themes education learning mindfulness Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - classroom study - personal development - skill acquisition Key Concepts cognitive retention philosophical inquiry Questions to Reflect On - What methods help you retain complex ideas? - How can you turn passive listening into active learning? A Different Perspective Some concepts resist retention despite effort. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Explain Close](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/explain-close-5658971/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Learning Understand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning-understand-2048935/) [Mind Shall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind-shall-423895/) [Open mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/open-mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Shall Explain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shall-explain-5346571/) ## Related quotes > [“Open your mind to what I shall disclose, and hold it fast within you; he who hears, but does not hold what he has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-disclose-and-hold-it-fast-within-you-2/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [It is no learning to understand what you do not retain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/it-is-no-learning-to-understand-what-you-do-not-retain/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Because your question searches for deep meaning, I shall explain in simple words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/because-your-question-searches-for-deep-meaning-i-shall-explain-in/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Do you know-I hardly remembered you? Hardly remembered me? I mean: how shall I explain? I-it's always so. Each time you happen to me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edith-wharton/do-you-know-i-hardly-remembered-you-hardly-remembered-me-i-mean-how/) [Edith Wharton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edith-wharton/) > [Furthermore, I shall explain the nature of dharmata: Such a nature as this cannot be determined to be any one thing. So however you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/furthermore-i-shall-explain-the-nature-of-dharmata-such-a-nature-as/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged. I cannot blindly follow the crowd and accept their approach. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-am-learning-to-understand-rather-than-immediately-judge-or-to-be/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [I am learning to understand rather than immediately judge or to be judged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-lee/i-am-learning-to-understand-rather-than-immediately-judge-or-to-be-2/) [Bruce Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-lee/) > [“He who empties his purse into his mind, shall never go bankrupt.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/he-who-empties-his-purse-into-his-mind-shall-never-go-bankrupt/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [As you sow in your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/as-you-sow-in-your-subconscious-mind-so-shall-you-reap-in-your-body-2/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Those who keep their mind on HIM shall have perfect peace GOD](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rev-run-2/those-who-keep-their-mind-on-him-shall-have-perfect-peace-god/) [Rev Run](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rev-run-2/) > [“Make up your mind! Whom you shall serve?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/make-up-your-mind-whom-you-shall-serve/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Nay, men are so far from musing of their sins, that they disdain this practise, and scoff at it: what say they, if all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-hooker/nay-men-are-so-far-from-musing-of-their-sins-that-they-disdain-this/) [Thomas Hooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-hooker/) > [“Open your mind to the magic and you shall walk in the realm of reality. Close your mind and you shall walk forever in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-landmark/open-your-mind-to-the-magic-and-you-shall-walk-in-the-realm-of/) [Cheryl Landmark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cheryl-landmark/) > [“Please do not forget those who have always stood by your side and supported you. If you do not fail to keep them in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-rainsworth/please-do-not-forget-those-who-have-always-stood-by-your-side-and/) [Sharon Rainsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-rainsworth/) > [“Have an open mind and heart. Learn to journey in understanding and forgiveness. It's not always going to be easy but it will be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-elle/have-an-open-mind-and-heart-learn-to-journey-in-understanding-and/) [Alexandra Elle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-elle/) ## More by Dante Alighieri > [In that part of the book of my memory before the which is little that can be read, there is a rubric, saying, Incipit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/in-that-part-of-the-book-of-my-memory-before-the-which-is-little-that/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“Be as a tower, that, firmly set, Shakes not its top for any blast that blows!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/be-as-a-tower-that-firmly-set-shakes-not-its-top-for-any-blast-that/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Pure essence, and pure matter, and the two joined into one were shot forth without flaw, like three bright arrows from a three-string bow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/pure-essence-and-pure-matter-and-the-two-joined-into-one-were-shot/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Into the eternal darkness, into fire and into ice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/into-the-eternal-darkness-into-fire-and-into-ice/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [O power of fantasy that steals our minds from things outside, to leave us unaware, although a thousand trumpets may blow loud--what stirs you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/o-power-of-fantasy-that-steals-our-minds-from-things-outside-to-leave/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [The purpose of the whole (work) is to remove those who are living in this life from a state of wretchedness and lead them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/the-purpose-of-the-whole-work-is-to-remove-those-who-are-living-in/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“Noi leggeveamo un giorno per diletto Di Lancialotto, come amor lo strinse; Soli eravamo e senza alcun sospetto Per più fiate gli occhi ci…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/noi-leggeveamo-un-giorno-per-diletto-di-lancialotto-come-amor-lo/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Love can move the Sun and the stars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/love-can-move-the-sun-and-the-stars/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Oh foolish desires of mortals! How weak are the reasons that lead us to not take off our flight from the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/oh-foolish-desires-of-mortals-how-weak-are-the-reasons-that-lead-us/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [“On march the banners of the King of Hell.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/on-march-the-banners-of-the-king-of-hell/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Seldom indeed does human virtue rise From trunk to branch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/seldom-indeed-does-human-virtue-rise-from-trunk-to-branch/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [All hope abandon, ye who enter here!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/all-hope-abandon-ye-who-enter-here/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [We have no hope and yet we live in longing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/we-have-no-hope-and-yet-we-live-in-longing/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [Not one drop of blood is left inside my veins that does not throb: I recognize signs of the ancient flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/not-one-drop-of-blood-is-left-inside-my-veins-that-does-not-throb-i/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) > [It is necessity and not pleasure that compels us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/it-is-necessity-and-not-pleasure-that-compels-us/) [Dante Alighieri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) [Explore all 414 Dante Alighieri quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/) ## More Learning quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Just understand that the good that you want is already here. All you have to do is get in harmony with it. And you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bob-proctor/just-understand-that-the-good-that-you-want-is-already-here-all-you/) [Bob Proctor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bob-proctor/) > [“Men mistook measurement for understanding. And they always had to put themselves at the center of everything. That was their greatest conceit. 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But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [Learning from the best, you will eventually become the best if you have the talent already, if you have that potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-orton/learning-from-the-best-you-will-eventually-become-the-best-if-you/) [Randy Orton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-orton/) > [Everything I do is more memorable and I understand music more than ever now. It's not a burden to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seungri/everything-i-do-is-more-memorable-and-i-understand-music-more-than/) [Seungri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seungri/) > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) [H.D. (Hilda Doolittle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-d-hilda-doolittle/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [once in awhile you get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look it right](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerry-garcia/once-in-awhile-you-get-shown-the-light-in-the-strangest-of-places-if/) [Jerry Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerry-garcia/) > [It's like saying French shouldn't be taught because you don't understand it because it's new. Shakespeare is just like learning a new, exciting language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-barnett/it-s-like-saying-french-shouldn-t-be-taught-because-you-don-t/) [Samuel Barnett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-barnett/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [Would she understand that time had stopped while she was gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-july/would-she-understand-that-time-had-stopped-while-she-was-gone/) [Miranda July](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-july/) > [It's difficult for people to come to the understanding that only a small minority of the people ever really get the word about life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-nightingale/it-s-difficult-for-people-to-come-to-the-understanding-that-only-a/) [Earl Nightingale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-nightingale/) > [“Damen's understanding of Laurent rearranged itself, in order that he might despise him more accurately.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-u-pacat/damen-s-understanding-of-laurent-rearranged-itself-in-order-that-he/) [S.U. Pacat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-u-pacat/) [Browse all 22,300 Learning quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around it, for it is no learning to understand what one does not retain.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dante Alighieri" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-then-close-around-it-for-it-is/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Learning" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-then-close-around-it-for-it-is/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b2c/dante-alighieri-590_learning_open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-t_2339928.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Open your mind to what I shall explain, then close around it, for it is no learning to understand what one…” — Dante Alighieri", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dante Alighieri", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dante-alighieri/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Open your mind to what I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-then-close-around-it-for-it-is/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dante-alighieri/open-your-mind-to-what-i-shall-explain-then-close-around-it-for-it-is/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```