--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Read not books alone, but men, and…" description: "\"Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.\" — Francis Quarles" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png" --- # Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly… ![“Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.” quote by Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png) > “Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.” [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Learning from people is more valuable than solitary reading; self‑reflection is essential. **In simple terms:** People teach more than books; know yourself. Key Takeaway Seek mentors and self‑knowledge. Themes learning self‑knowledge community Mood contemplative inspirational Type philosophical motivational When to use this quote - mentorship - self‑study - group discussion Key Concepts philosophy psychology education Questions to Reflect On - Who has taught you more than a book? - How can you balance reading with personal interaction? A Different Perspective Relying solely on books can limit perspective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Books Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books-men-280050/) [Chiefly Thyself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chiefly-thyself-2406689/) [Distasteful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distasteful/) [Flatterer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flatterer/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Chiefly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-chiefly-2406688/) [Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read/) [Read Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/read-books-250428/) [Thyself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thyself/) ## Related quotes > [Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself. If thou find anything questionable there, use the commentary of a severe friend,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself-if-thou/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [In the commission of evil, fear no man so much as thyself; another is but one witness against thee, thou art a thousand; another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/in-the-commission-of-evil-fear-no-man-so-much-as-thyself-another-is/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Flatter not thyself in thy faith to God, if thou wantest charity for thy neighbor; and think not thou halt charity for thy neighbor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/flatter-not-thyself-in-thy-faith-to-god-if-thou-wantest-charity-for/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [If thou seest anything in thyself which may make thee proud, look a little further and thou shalt find enough to humble thee; if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/if-thou-seest-anything-in-thyself-which-may-make-thee-proud-look-a/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The way to subject all things to thyself is to subject thyself to reason; thou shalt govern many, if reason govern thee. Wouldst thou…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-way-to-subject-all-things-to-thyself-is-to-subject-thyself-to/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [When the flesh presents thee with delights, then present thyself with dangers; where the world possesses thee with vain hopes, there possess thyself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/when-the-flesh-presents-thee-with-delights-then-present-thyself-with/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Demean thyself more warily in thy study than in the street. If thy public actions have a hundred witnesses, thy private have a thousand.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/demean-thyself-more-warily-in-thy-study-than-in-the-street-if-thy/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Prize not thyself by what thou hast, but by what thou art; he that values a jewel by her golden frame, or a book…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/prize-not-thyself-by-what-thou-hast-but-by-what-thou-art-he-that/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The height of all philosophy is to know thyself; and the end of this knowledge is to know God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-height-of-all-philosophy-is-to-know-thyself-and-the-end-of-this/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Books are not men and yet they are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/books-are-not-men-and-yet-they-are-alive/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [Books are men of higher stature, and the only men that speak aloud for future times to hear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/books-are-men-of-higher-stature-and-the-only-men-that-speak-aloud-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The modernness of all good books seems to give men an existence as wide as man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/the-modernness-of-all-good-books-seems-to-give-men-an-existence-as/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part-2/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [Keep away from books and from men who get their ideas from books, and your own books will always be fresh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/keep-away-from-books-and-from-men-who-get-their-ideas-from-books-and/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [It is with books as with men: a very small number play a great part, the rest are lost in the multitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/it-is-with-books-as-with-men-a-very-small-number-play-a-great-part/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) ## More by Francis Quarles > [Be neither too early in the fashion, nor too long out of it, nor too precisely in it; what custom hath civilized is become…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/be-neither-too-early-in-the-fashion-nor-too-long-out-of-it-nor-too/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The World's a Printing-House, our words, our thoughts, Our deeds, are characters of several sizes. Each soul is a Compos'tor, of whose faults The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-s-a-printing-house-our-words-our-thoughts-our-deeds-are/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Luxury is an enticing pleasure, a bastard mirth, which hath honey in her mouth, gall in her heart, and a sting in her tail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/luxury-is-an-enticing-pleasure-a-bastard-mirth-which-hath-honey-in/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Deliberate long before thou consecrate a friend, and when thy impartial justice concludes him worthy of thy bosom, receive him joyfully, and entertain him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/deliberate-long-before-thou-consecrate-a-friend-and-when-thy/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [What treasures here do Mammon's sons behold! Yet know that all that which glitters is not gold.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/what-treasures-here-do-mammon-s-sons-behold-yet-know-that-all-that/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Meditation is the life of the soul: Action, the soul of meditation; and honor the reward of action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/meditation-is-the-life-of-the-soul-action-the-soul-of-meditation-and/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The world is deceitful; her end is doubtful, her conclusion is horrible, her judge terrible, and her judgment is intolerable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-world-is-deceitful-her-end-is-doubtful-her-conclusion-is-horrible/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [I wish thee as much pleasure in the reading, as I had in the writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/i-wish-thee-as-much-pleasure-in-the-reading-as-i-had-in-the-writing/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The suburbs of folly is vain mirth, and profuseness of laughter is the city of fools.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-suburbs-of-folly-is-vain-mirth-and-profuseness-of-laughter-is-the/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The fountain of beauty is the heart and every generous thought illustrates the walls of your chamber.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-fountain-of-beauty-is-the-heart-and-every-generous-thought/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The strong desires of man's insatiate breast may stand possess'd Of all that earth can give; but earth can give no rest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-strong-desires-of-man-s-insatiate-breast-may-stand-possess-d-of/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Knowledge descries; wisdom applies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/knowledge-descries-wisdom-applies/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [In all thy actions think God sees thee; and in all His actions labor to see Him; that will make thee fear Him; this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/in-all-thy-actions-think-god-sees-thee-and-in-all-his-actions-labor/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [Rather do what is nothing to the purpose than be idle; that the devil may find thee doing. The bird that sits is easily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/rather-do-what-is-nothing-to-the-purpose-than-be-idle-that-the-devil/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) > [The height of all philosophy is to know thyself; and the end of this knowledge is to know God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/the-height-of-all-philosophy-is-to-know-thyself-and-the-end-of-this/) [Francis Quarles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) [Explore all 212 Francis Quarles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Francis Quarles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/75e/francis-quarles-1740_book_read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst_239806.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Read not books alone, but men, and amongst them chiefly thyself.” — Francis Quarles", "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": "Francis Quarles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-quarles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Read not books alone, but men,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-quarles/read-not-books-alone-but-men-and-amongst-them-chiefly-thyself/#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 } } ] } ```