---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One learns little more about a man from…"
description: "\"One learns little more about a man from his feats of literary memory than from the feats of his alimentary canal.\" — Frank Moore Colby"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/frank-moore-colby-16494_canals_one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from_209214.jpg"
---

#  One learns little more about a man from his feats of…

![“One learns little more about a man from his feats of literary memory than from the feats of his alimentary canal.” quote by Frank Moore Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/frank-moore-colby-16494_canals_one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from_209214.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/frank-moore-colby-16494_canals_one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from_209214.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/22a/frank-moore-colby-16494_canals_one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from_209214.jpg)

> “One learns little more about a man from his feats of literary memory than from the feats of his alimentary canal.”

[Frank Moore Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-colby/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A person's intellectual achievements reveal character more reliably than bodily functions.

**In simple terms:** Intellect shows character better than physical traits.

Key Takeaway

Value mental accomplishments over superficial traits.

Themes

character intellect perception

Mood

thoughtful analytical

Type

observational philosophical

When to use this quote

- career evaluation
- academic assessment
- personal interviews

Key Concepts

psychology human behavior

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you assess someone's true character?
- What mental feats impress you most?

A Different Perspective

Physical traits can be misleading indicators of character.

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[Canals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canals/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Memories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memories/) [Memory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/memory/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/)

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> [I have had a number of patients with breast cancer, all of whom had root canals on the tooth related to the breast area…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-diamond/i-have-had-a-number-of-patients-with-breast-cancer-all-of-whom-had/)

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> [dating you would be like a series of unnecessary root canals interspersed with occasional makeout sessions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/dating-you-would-be-like-a-series-of-unnecessary-root-canals/)

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> [I miss that time. The cities back then, just after the forests died, were full of wonders, and you'd stumble on them--these princes of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-miss-that-time-the-cities-back-then-just-after-the-forests-died/)

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> [The problem was that Panama technically belonged to Colombia, which refused to sign a treaty leasing it to the United States. So Roosevelt sent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/the-problem-was-that-panama-technically-belonged-to-colombia-which/)

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> [The citizens of Love Canal provided an example of how a blue-collar community with few resources can win against great odds (a multi-billion-dollar international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-gibbs/the-citizens-of-love-canal-provided-an-example-of-how-a-blue-collar/)

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> [My daughter squealed again and both Bubba and I winced. It’s not an attractive sound, that. It’s high-pitched and it enters your ear canals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-lehane/my-daughter-squealed-again-and-both-bubba-and-i-winced-it-s-not-an/)

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[Olivia Newton-John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-newton-john/)

## More by Frank Moore Colby

> [Talk ought always to run obliquely, not nose to nose with no chance of mental escape.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/talk-ought-always-to-run-obliquely-not-nose-to-nose-with-no-chance-of/)

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> [By rights, satire is a lonely and introspective occupation, for nobody can describe a fool to the life without much patient self-inspection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/by-rights-satire-is-a-lonely-and-introspective-occupation-for-nobody/)

[Frank Moore Colby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-moore-colby/)

> [I know of no more disagreeable situation than to be left feeling generally angry without anybody in particular to be angry at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/i-know-of-no-more-disagreeable-situation-than-to-be-left-feeling/)

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> [Every improvement in communication makes the bore more terrible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/every-improvement-in-communication-makes-the-bore-more-terrible/)

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> [There ought to be some sign in a book about man, that the writer knows thoroughly one man at least.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/there-ought-to-be-some-sign-in-a-book-about-man-that-the-writer-knows/)

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> [One learns little more about a man from the feats of his literary memory than from the feats of his alimentary canal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-moore-colby/one-learns-little-more-about-a-man-from-the-feats-of-his-literary/)

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