--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Your young white, who gathers his…" description: "\"“Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and can measure what he knows by the page, may conceit that his knowledge, like his legs, outrun..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg" --- # Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and… ![“Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and can measure what he knows by the page, may conceit that his knowledge, like his legs, outruns that of his fathers’, but, where experience is the master, the scholar is made to know the value of years, and respects them accordingly.” quote by James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg) > ““Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and can measure what he knows by the page, may conceit that his knowledge, like his legs, outruns that of his fathers’, but, where experience is the master, the scholar is made to know the value of years, and respects them accordingly.”” [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True knowledge comes from lived experience, not just academic study; wisdom grows with age and practice. **In simple terms:** Experience beats book learning. Key Takeaway Value real-world experience. Themes wisdom experience learning humility Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - education - career mentorship - personal growth - intergenerational dialogue Key Concepts epistemology generational knowledge practical wisdom Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance study with real-world practice? - What lessons have you learned outside formal education? A Different Perspective Books alone cannot replace lived experience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Humility](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humility/) [Know Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-value/) [Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge/) [Knowledge Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knowledge-like/) [Knows Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows-page-5170603/) [Learning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learning/) [Measure Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-knows-5170602/) [Scholar Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scholar-know-3687565/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [But the only measure that he knows is desire desire for power and so he judges all hearts. Into his heart the thought will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-the-only-measure-that-he-knows-is-desire-desire-for-power-and-so/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The shield of the scholar is, ‘I do not know’, so if he leaves it down, his attacker will strike him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/imam-malik/the-shield-of-the-scholar-is-i-do-not-know-so-if-he-leaves-it-down/) [Imam Malik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/imam-malik/) > [A scholar has to know a little of everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jules-verne/a-scholar-has-to-know-a-little-of-everything/) [Jules Verne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jules-verne/) > [“Knowledge is like the great army that will help us crush the forces of our own faults.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama-xiv-the-way-to-freedom/knowledge-is-like-the-great-army-that-will-help-us-crush-the-forces/) [Dalai Lama XIV The way to freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama-xiv-the-way-to-freedom/) > [When you ask people questions about what they've done, not only do you get knowledge, but they like you because people like to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maverick-carter/when-you-ask-people-questions-about-what-they-ve-done-not-only-do-you/) [Maverick Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maverick-carter/) > [I had a foretaste of another, larger kind of knowledge: one I believe human beings will be able to access in ever larger numbers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eben-alexander/i-had-a-foretaste-of-another-larger-kind-of-knowledge-one-i-believe/) [Eben Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eben-alexander/) > [Real knowledge, like everything else of value, is not to be obtained easily. It must be worked for, studied for, thought for, and, more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-arnold/real-knowledge-like-everything-else-of-value-is-not-to-be-obtained/) [Thomas Arnold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-arnold/) > [Knowledge is like money: the more he gets, the more he craves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-billings/knowledge-is-like-money-the-more-he-gets-the-more-he-craves/) [Josh Billings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-billings/) > [Knowledge is like fire 'cause it breaks down things so you can see what they truly are. It's like how a fire breaks your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rza/knowledge-is-like-fire-cause-it-breaks-down-things-so-you-can-see/) [RZA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rza/) > [Knowledge was like candy: you never turned it down, especially if you didn't have to work too hard to get it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-liparulo/knowledge-was-like-candy-you-never-turned-it-down-especially-if-you/) [Robert Liparulo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-liparulo/) > [Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/knowledge-like-air-is-vital-to-life-like-air-no-one-should-be-denied/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Knowledge is like the carrot, few know by looking at the green top that the best part, the orange part, is there. Like the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nasreddin/knowledge-is-like-the-carrot-few-know-by-looking-at-the-green-top/) [Nasreddin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nasreddin/) > [“Those who are in love with practice without knowledge are like the sailor who gets into a ship without rudder or compass and who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iggy-fernandez/those-who-are-in-love-with-practice-without-knowledge-are-like-the/) [Iggy Fernandez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iggy-fernandez/) > [“This is a book about questioning what others believe to be true, not accepting ideas just because famous people say they are right. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-aronson/this-is-a-book-about-questioning-what-others-believe-to-be-true-not/) [Marc Aronson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-aronson/) > [“Knowledge is like an endless resource; a well of water that satisfies the innate thirst of the growing human soul. Therefore never stop learning...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chidi-okonkwo/knowledge-is-like-an-endless-resource-a-well-of-water-that-satisfies/) [Chidi Okonkwo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chidi-okonkwo/) ## More by James Fenimore Cooper > [“In America the taint of sectarianism lies broad upon the land. Not content with acknowledging the supremacy as the Deity, and with erecting temples…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/in-america-the-taint-of-sectarianism-lies-broad-upon-the-land-not/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“The deer that goes too often to the lick meets the hunter at last!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/the-deer-that-goes-too-often-to-the-lick-meets-the-hunter-at-last/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“The air, the water, and the ground are free gifts to man, and no one has the power to portion them out in parcels.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/the-air-the-water-and-the-ground-are-free-gifts-to-man-and-no-one-has/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“Nothing is easier to us who pass our time in the great school of Providence than to l’arn its lessons.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/nothing-is-easier-to-us-who-pass-our-time-in-the-great-school-of/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“And am I answerable that thoughtless and unprincipled men exist whose shades of contenance may resemble mine?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/and-am-i-answerable-that-thoughtless-and-unprincipled-men-exist-whose/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“The tree blossoms, and bears its fruit, which falls, rots, withers, and even the seed is lost! Go, count the rings of the oak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/the-tree-blossoms-and-bears-its-fruit-which-falls-rots-withers-and/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [I sometimes wish I had been educated a Catholic, in order to unite the poetry of religion with its higher principles. Are they necessarily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/i-sometimes-wish-i-had-been-educated-a-catholic-in-order-to-unite-the/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“When men speak, they should say that which does not go in at one side of the head and out at the other. Their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/when-men-speak-they-should-say-that-which-does-not-go-in-at-one-side/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“All places that the eye of heaven visits/ Are to a wise man ports and happy havens:/ Think not the king did banish thee:/…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/all-places-that-the-eye-of-heaven-visits-are-to-a-wise-man-ports-and-2/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“I look upon the redmen to be quite as human as we are ourselves, Hurry. They have their gifts, and their religion, it's true;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/i-look-upon-the-redmen-to-be-quite-as-human-as-we-are-ourselves-hurry/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“I want no thunder or lightning to remind me of my God, nor am I as apt to bethink on most of all His…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/i-want-no-thunder-or-lightning-to-remind-me-of-my-god-nor-am-i-as-apt/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“I have attended church-service in the garrisons, and tried hard...to join in the prayers...but never could raise within me the solemn feelings and true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/i-have-attended-church-service-in-the-garrisons-and-tried-hard-to/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“Then as to churches, they are good, I suppose, else wouldn't good men uphold' em. But they are not altogether necessary. They call 'em…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/then-as-to-churches-they-are-good-i-suppose-else-wouldn-t-good-men/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“...it should be remembered that men always prize that most which is least enjoyed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/it-should-be-remembered-that-men-always-prize-that-most-which-is/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) > [“Tis an ancient and sacred tie that binds man to his nation; neither can it be severed without infamy.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/tis-an-ancient-and-sacred-tie-that-binds-man-to-his-nation-neither/) [James Fenimore Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) [Explore all 54 James Fenimore Cooper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/) ## More Books 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/) > [If what I write is literature, I guess you'd better emphasize the 'litter.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lydia-lunch/if-what-i-write-is-literature-i-guess-you-d-better-emphasize-the/) [Lydia Lunch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-lunch/) > [My sentences got sharper and my stories more efficient, and I gradually learned to imagine the reader more clearly and to empathize with that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-thompson-walker/my-sentences-got-sharper-and-my-stories-more-efficient-and-i/) [Karen Thompson Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-thompson-walker/) > [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/) > [“Within the pages of books, I've journeyed to Mandalay, the Milky Way and Santa Fe, without once having to leave my armchair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-ansbro/within-the-pages-of-books-i-ve-journeyed-to-mandalay-the-milky-way/) [Kevin Ansbro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-ansbro/) > [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/) > [“Tacitus did not write a most dangerous book. His readers made it so.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-k-krebs/tacitus-did-not-write-a-most-dangerous-book-his-readers-made-it-so/) [Christopher K. Krebs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-k-krebs/) > [“Take some books and read; that’s an immense help; and books are always good company if you have the right sort.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/take-some-books-and-read-that-s-an-immense-help-and-books-are-always/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [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/) > [“Be careful about reading health books. Some fine day you'll die of a misprint.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/markus-herz/be-careful-about-reading-health-books-some-fine-day-you-ll-die-of-a/) [Markus Herz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/markus-herz/) > [But editors are still the world's readers. And thus the eyes of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betsy-lerner/but-editors-are-still-the-world-s-readers-and-thus-the-eyes-of-the/) [Betsy Lerner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betsy-lerner/) [Browse all 59,485 Books quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and can measure what he knows by the page, may conceit that his knowledge, like his legs, outruns that of his fathers’, but, where experience is the master, the scholar is made to know the value of years, and respects them accordingly.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Fenimore Cooper" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learning-from-books-and-can-measure/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Books" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learning-from-books-and-can-measure/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bfa/james-fenimore-cooper-12459_books_your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learnin_2255925.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Your young white, who gathers his learning from books and can measure what he knows by the page, may conceit…” — James Fenimore Cooper", "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": "James Fenimore Cooper", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-fenimore-cooper/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Your young white, who gathers his...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learning-from-books-and-can-measure/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-fenimore-cooper/your-young-white-who-gathers-his-learning-from-books-and-can-measure/#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 } } ] } ```