--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is something lamentable, degrading…" description: "\"“There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost insane in pursuing the visionary schemes of past ages with dogged determination, in paths of lear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg" --- # There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost… ![“There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost insane in pursuing the visionary schemes of past ages with dogged determination, in paths of learning which have been investigated by superior minds, and with which such adventurous persons are totally unacquainted. The history of Perpetual…” quote by Henry Dircks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg) > ““There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost insane in pursuing the visionary schemes of past ages with dogged determination, in paths of learning which have been investigated by superior minds, and with which such adventurous persons are totally unacquainted. The history of Perpetual Motion is a history of the fool-hardiness of either half-learned, or totally ignorant persons.”” [Henry Dircks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dircks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pursuing old visionary ideas with stubbornness is foolish; it shows ignorance and lack of familiarity. **In simple terms:** Chasing outdated visions stubbornly reveals ignorance. Key Takeaway Question the value of old visions. Themes foolishness ignorance visionary history learning critical thinking Mood skeptical analytical Type historical philosophical When to use this quote - research - innovation - education Key Concepts philosophy of science history of ideas skepticism Questions to Reflect On - What makes a vision timeless? - How to balance tradition with progress? A Different Perspective May dismiss beneficial legacy ideas. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Foolishness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolishness/) [History Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/history-perpetual-695265/) [Ignorant person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant-person/) [Ignorant Persons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant-persons-695266/) [Perpetual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual/) [Perpetual motion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/perpetual-motion/) [Physics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/physics/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Unacquainted History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unacquainted-history-695267/) [Visionary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/visionary/) ## Related quotes > [“Human life without knowledge of history is nothing other than a perpetual childhood, nay, a permanent obscurity and darkness. -Philip Melanchthon”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-lindberg/human-life-without-knowledge-of-history-is-nothing-other-than-a/) [Carter Lindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-lindberg/) > [...but then the general trouble with ignorance is always that the ignorant person has no idea that that's what they are. You can be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-de-bernieres/but-then-the-general-trouble-with-ignorance-is-always-that-the/) [Louis de Bernieres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-de-bernieres/) > [“It is very painful to argue with an incredibly ignorant person. Not because they are stupid, but because the stupid are unbelievably arrogant and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-sacredfire/it-is-very-painful-to-argue-with-an-incredibly-ignorant-person-not/) [Robin Sacredfire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-sacredfire/) > [Did I say "republic?" By God, yes, I said "republic!" Long live the glorious republic of the United States of America. Damn democracy. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/westbrook-pegler/did-i-say-republic-by-god-yes-i-said-republic-long-live-the-glorious/) [Westbrook Pegler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/westbrook-pegler/) > [“The ignorant person is completely unaware of one's mistakes. The wise person acknowledges and learns from one's mistakes. The enlightened person realizes that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hrishikesh-agnihotri/the-ignorant-person-is-completely-unaware-of-one-s-mistakes-the-wise/) [Hrishikesh Agnihotri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hrishikesh-agnihotri/) > [God does not need anything. God does not need our worship. He does not benefit by our worship. We do. When we do bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/god-does-not-need-anything-god-does-not-need-our-worship-he-does-not/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [“Muad’Dib: “If a child, an untrained person, an ignorant person, or an insane person incites trouble, it is the fault of authority for not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/muad-dib-if-a-child-an-untrained-person-an-ignorant-person-or-an/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [In theory it is easy to convince an ignorant person; in actual life, men not only object to offer themselves to be convinced, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/in-theory-it-is-easy-to-convince-an-ignorant-person-in-actual-life/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [An ignorant person is one who doesn't know what you have just found out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/an-ignorant-person-is-one-who-doesn-t-know-what-you-have-just-found/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) > [“A wise person, if he doesn’t like your ideas, will try to defeat you with counter-arguments; a foolish and ignorant person, if he doesn’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/a-wise-person-if-he-doesn-t-like-your-ideas-will-try-to-defeat-you/) [Mehmet Murat ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [There's a difference between being ignorant and being stupid... For me, an ignorant person is someone who makes the wrong decision or a bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryl-davis/there-s-a-difference-between-being-ignorant-and-being-stupid-for-me/) [Daryl Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryl-davis/) > [Avoid banquets which are given by strangers an ignorant persons. But if there is ever occasion to join them, let your attention be carefully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/avoid-banquets-which-are-given-by-strangers-an-ignorant-persons-but/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [An ignorant person is poorer than the man who has no money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/an-ignorant-person-is-poorer-than-the-man-who-has-no-money/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [An ignorant person is, by the very fact of his or her ignorance, a very dangerous person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hendrik-willem-van-loon/an-ignorant-person-is-by-the-very-fact-of-his-or-her-ignorance-a-very/) [Hendrik Willem van Loon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hendrik-willem-van-loon/) > [It is the ignorant person who seeks his or her own ends at the expense of the greater whole. It is the ignorant person,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-trine/it-is-the-ignorant-person-who-seeks-his-or-her-own-ends-at-the/) [Ralph Waldo Trine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-trine/) ## More by Henry Dircks > [“Of what use can our labour be, when the labours we record are in themselves entirely useless?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dircks/of-what-use-can-our-labour-be-when-the-labours-we-record-are-in/) [Henry Dircks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dircks/) [Explore all 2 Henry Dircks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dircks/) ## More Foolishness quotes > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [One may have been a fool, but there's no foolishness like being bitter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-norris/one-may-have-been-a-fool-but-there-s-no-foolishness-like-being-bitter/) [Kathleen Norris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-norris/) > [“She shrugged. “I fell. I’m a clumsy fool.” “I know how you feel. I’m such a fool I knocked half my teeth out and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-abercrombie/she-shrugged-i-fell-i-m-a-clumsy-fool-i-know-how-you-feel-i-m-such-a/) [Joe Abercrombie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-abercrombie/) > [You can never understand why people do stupid things for love, Unless you, yourself experience how it is to be in LOVE...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-can-never-understand-why-people-do-stupid-things-for-love-unless/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“The magi, as you know, were wise men — wonderfully wise men — who brought gifts to the Babe in the manger. They invented…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-magi-as-you-know-were-wise-men-wonderfully-wise-men-who-brought/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-fool-without-fear-is-sometimes-wiser-than-an-angel-with-fear/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acknowledging foolishness is a very powerful and important experience. We could almost say that being willing to be a fool is one of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chogyam-trungpa/acknowledging-foolishness-is-a-very-powerful-and-important-experience/) [Chogyam Trungpa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chogyam-trungpa/) > [In the foolishness lies the danger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/omar-torrijos/in-the-foolishness-lies-the-danger/) [Omar Torrijos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/omar-torrijos/) > [There are petty-minded people who cannot endure to be reminded of their ignorance because, since they are usually quite blind to all things, quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/there-are-petty-minded-people-who-cannot-endure-to-be-reminded-of/) [Madeleine de Souvre, marquise de Sable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeleine-de-souvre-marquise-de-sable/) > [Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/life-is-one-fool-thing-after-another-whereas-love-is-two-fool-things/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [And when we give each other Christmas gifts in His name, let us remember that He has given us the sun and the moon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigrid-undset/and-when-we-give-each-other-christmas-gifts-in-his-name-let-us/) [Sigrid Undset](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigrid-undset/) > [“If fifty million people say a foolish thing, it is still a foolish thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anatole-france/if-fifty-million-people-say-a-foolish-thing-it-is-still-a-foolish/) [Anatole France](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anatole-france/) > [“As I, my real self, grew older, I entered more and more into the substance of my dreams. One may dream, and even in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-london/as-i-my-real-self-grew-older-i-entered-more-and-more-into-the/) [Jack London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-london/) [Browse all 638 Foolishness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foolishness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost insane in pursuing the visionary schemes of past ages with dogged determination, in paths of learning which have been investigated by superior minds, and with which such adventurous persons are totally unacquainted. The history of Perpetual Motion is a history of the fool-hardiness of either half-learned, or totally ignorant persons.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Henry Dircks" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dircks/there-is-something-lamentable-degrading-and-almost-insane-in-pursuing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Foolishness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dircks/there-is-something-lamentable-degrading-and-almost-insane-in-pursuing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0d8/henry-dircks-109270_foolishness_there-is-something-lamentable-degrading_2464693.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There is something lamentable, degrading, and almost insane in pursuing the visionary schemes of past ages…” — Henry Dircks", "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": "Henry Dircks", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-dircks/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“There is something lamentable, degrading, and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dircks/there-is-something-lamentable-degrading-and-almost-insane-in-pursuing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-dircks/there-is-something-lamentable-degrading-and-almost-insane-in-pursuing/#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 } } ] } ```