--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We have all met a class of men, very…" description: "\"“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who, in their noisy and impulsive..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png" --- # We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their… ![“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who, in their noisy and impulsive pursuit of knowledge, never get beyond the outer bark of an idea, from a lack of patience and perseverance to dig to the core; men who begin…” quote by Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png) > ““We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who, in their noisy and impulsive pursuit of knowledge, never get beyond the outer bark of an idea, from a lack of patience and perseverance to dig to the core; men who begin everything and complete nothing; who see, but do not perceive; who read, but forget what they read, and are as if they had not read; who travel but go nowhere in particular, and have nothing of value to impart when they return.”” [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A critique of superficial intellectualism that lacks depth, persistence, and genuine insight, leading to unproductive activity. **In simple terms:** Superficial learning without lasting impact. Key Takeaway Depth and perseverance matter more than noise. Themes intellectual humility perseverance critical thinking self-awareness meaningful action Mood reflective cautious inquisitive Type advice observation critique When to use this quote - academic study - research projects - creative endeavors - personal development - professional training Key Concepts patience focus reflection purpose Practical Applications - Design curricula emphasizing depth - Mentor for sustained inquiry Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance breadth and depth? - What habits cultivate true perseverance? A Different Perspective Some argue that breadth of exposure can be valuable even without deep mastery, fostering interdisciplinary connections. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Patience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience/) [Patience and perseverance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patience-and-perseverance/) [Pursuit of knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pursuit-of-knowledge/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) ## Related quotes > [The historic idea that the devil tempts men had this remarkable effect, it produced the man of iron who fought; the modern idea of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oswald-chambers/the-historic-idea-that-the-devil-tempts-men-had-this-remarkable/) [Oswald Chambers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oswald-chambers/) > [Some men seem remarkable to the world in whom neither their wives nor their valets saw anything extraordinary. Few men have been admired by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/some-men-seem-remarkable-to-the-world-in-whom-neither-their-wives-nor/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [“It was the pursuit of knowledge under difficulties, and I look back to it now, after so many years, with some complacency and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/it-was-the-pursuit-of-knowledge-under-difficulties-and-i-look-back-to/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A certain amount of impatience may be useful to stimulate and motivate us to action. However, I believe that a lack of patience is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-b-wirthlin/a-certain-amount-of-impatience-may-be-useful-to-stimulate-and/) [Joseph B. Wirthlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-b-wirthlin/) > [That is the trouble with many inventors; they lack patience. They lack the willingness to work a thing out slowly and clearly and sharply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikola-tesla/that-is-the-trouble-with-many-inventors-they-lack-patience-they-lack/) [Nikola Tesla](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikola-tesla/) > [For me, my lack of patience in real life - I have always had very little patience. It's been very much my downfall in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mila-kunis/for-me-my-lack-of-patience-in-real-life-i-have-always-had-very-little/) [Mila Kunis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mila-kunis/) > [“Someday my lack of patience was going to be my Waterloo.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-boatwright-coker/someday-my-lack-of-patience-was-going-to-be-my-waterloo/) Elizabeth Boatwright Coker > [Listen, I was the first black manager in baseball and there was incredible pressure. I don't blame anyone else. I was too tough .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-robinson/listen-i-was-the-first-black-manager-in-baseball-and-there-was/) [Frank Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-robinson/) > [A lot of can't deal with life because they lack the patience to become who they want to be… Everything happens by process. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-d-jakes/a-lot-of-can-t-deal-with-life-because-they-lack-the-patience-to/) [T. D. Jakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-d-jakes/) > [“A lack of patience causes many well-meaning people not to take the proper amount of time to listen, learn and holistically work with longtime…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-docusen/a-lack-of-patience-causes-many-well-meaning-people-not-to-take-the/) David Docusen > [A lack of patience in trifling matters might lead to the disruption of great project.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-lack-of-patience-in-trifling-matters-might-lead-to-the-disruption/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [One of the expressions of Western over-reliance on technology can be seen in the lack of patience in industrial society. When you deal with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/one-of-the-expressions-of-western-over-reliance-on-technology-can-be/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [Lack of patience is probably the most common reason for losing a game, or drawing games that should have been won.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bent-larsen/lack-of-patience-is-probably-the-most-common-reason-for-losing-a-game/) [Bent Larsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bent-larsen/) > [“Do not blame my tone of voice, my lack of patience, or my bad mood on PMS. It's not my period that's my problem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-o-connell/do-not-blame-my-tone-of-voice-my-lack-of-patience-or-my-bad-mood-on/) [Jenny O'Connell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-o-connell/) > [It is important to have determination and optimism and patience. If you lack patience, even when you face some small obstacle, you lose courage.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/it-is-important-to-have-determination-and-optimism-and-patience-if/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) ## More by Frederick Douglass > [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“But I should be false in the earliest sentiments of my soul, if I suppressed the opinion. I prefer to be true to myself,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/but-i-should-be-false-in-the-earliest-sentiments-of-my-soul-if-i/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A man who will enslave his own blood, may not be safely relied on for magnamity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-man-who-will-enslave-his-own-blood-may-not-be-safely-relied-on-for/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, - a justifier of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I assert most unhesitatingly, that the religion of the South is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes—a justifier of the most appalling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-assert-most-unhesitatingly-that-the-religion-of-the-south-is-a-mere-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-limits-of-tyrants-are-prescribed-by-the-endurance-of-those-whom/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/power-concedes-nothing-without-a-demand-it-never-did-and-it-never-will/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [“The fatal poison of irresponsible power was already in her hands, and soon commenced its infernal work. That cheerful eye, under the influence of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/the-fatal-poison-of-irresponsible-power-was-already-in-her-hands-and/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [A battle lost or won is easily described, understood, and appreciated, but the moral growth of a great nation requires reflection, as well as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-battle-lost-or-won-is-easily-described-understood-and-appreciated/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/knowledge-makes-a-man-unfit-to-be-a-slave/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-was-broken-in-body-soul-and-spirit-my-natural-elasticity-was/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, that whenever my condition was improved, instead of increasing my contentment; it only increased my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my-2/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [At a time like this, scorching irony, not convincing argument, is needed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/at-a-time-like-this-scorching-irony-not-convincing-argument-is-needed/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [They who study mankind with a whip in their hands will always go wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/they-who-study-mankind-with-a-whip-in-their-hands-will-always-go-wrong/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) [Explore all 348 Frederick Douglass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More Knowledge quotes > [“Knowledge without conscience is but the ruin of the soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabelaise/knowledge-without-conscience-is-but-the-ruin-of-the-soul/) Rabelaise > [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [But I already saw no great difference between the psyche and spirituality. To amass knowledge without becoming wise is not my idea of progress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/but-i-already-saw-no-great-difference-between-the-psyche-and/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [If we will not interfere with our thought, but will act entirely, or see how the thing stands in God, we know the particular…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-we-will-not-interfere-with-our-thought-but-will-act-entirely-or/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [An enlightened awareness is within each one of us, right at this moment. This enlightened awareness is truly unborn and marvellously illuminating; and everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bankei-yotaku/an-enlightened-awareness-is-within-each-one-of-us-right-at-this/) [Bankei Yotaku](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bankei-yotaku/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-zimmer/i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted-the-sweetness-of/) [Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-zimmer/) > [I would rather excel others in the knowledge of what is excellent than in the extent of my powers and dominion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/i-would-rather-excel-others-in-the-knowledge-of-what-is-excellent/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [We know accurately only when we know little, with knowledge doubt increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/we-know-accurately-only-when-we-know-little-with-knowledge-doubt/) [Johann Wolfgang von Goethe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-wolfgang-von-goethe/) > [I've always been a believer in research. It's great to have an instinctual human reaction to a character, too, of course, but it has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/i-ve-always-been-a-believer-in-research-it-s-great-to-have-an/) [Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/) > [I am an aware citizen, so I want my characters to be aware, too. They should be aware of what's happening in the society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pankaj-tripathi/i-am-an-aware-citizen-so-i-want-my-characters-to-be-aware-too-they/) [Pankaj Tripathi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pankaj-tripathi/) > [Technology means the systematic application of scientific or other organized knowledge to practical tasks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kenneth-galbraith/technology-means-the-systematic-application-of-scientific-or-other/) [John Kenneth Galbraith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kenneth-galbraith/) > [Love is a vision,love carry our vision,and love by-step our vision. we carry our love to our by-step. once love is vision love is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-is-a-vision-love-carry-our-vision-and-love-by-step-our-vision-we/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Man is an ignoramus athirst for knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wagner/man-is-an-ignoramus-athirst-for-knowledge/) [Charles Wagner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wagner/) [Browse all 13,227 Knowledge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in life; men who, in their noisy and impulsive pursuit of knowledge, never get beyond the outer bark of an idea, from a lack of patience and perseverance to dig to the core; men who begin everything and complete nothing; who see, but do not perceive; who read, but forget what they read, and are as if they had not read; who travel but go nowhere in particular, and have nothing of value to impart when they return.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frederick Douglass" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Knowledge" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fcf/frederick-douglass-859_knowledge_we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-rema_51337.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“We have all met a class of men, very remarkable for their activity, and who yet make but little headway in…” — Frederick Douglass", "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": "Frederick Douglass", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“We have all met a class...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/we-have-all-met-a-class-of-men-very-remarkable-for-their-activity-and/#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 } } ] } ```