--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the way, isn't it? With humans and…" description: "\"It is the way, isn't it? With humans and free thought. They only learn through terrible mistakes. Free thought does not make wisdom. Instead it creates..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/joel-shepherd-35394_commit_it-is-the-way-isn-t-it-with-humans-and-f_398919.png" --- # It is the way, isn't it? With humans and free thought… ![“It is the way, isn't it? With humans and free thought. They only learn through terrible mistakes. Free thought does not make wisdom. Instead it creates enough space for men to commit terrible folly, from which the survivors learn through disaster.” quote by Joel Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/joel-shepherd-35394_commit_it-is-the-way-isn-t-it-with-humans-and-f_398919.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/joel-shepherd-35394_commit_it-is-the-way-isn-t-it-with-humans-and-f_398919.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cdf/joel-shepherd-35394_commit_it-is-the-way-isn-t-it-with-humans-and-f_398919.png) > “It is the way, isn't it? With humans and free thought. They only learn through terrible mistakes. Free thought does not make wisdom. Instead it creates enough space for men to commit terrible folly, from which the survivors learn through disaster.” [Joel Shepherd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-shepherd/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that free thought leads to mistakes and folly, and that true wisdom comes from surviving disasters, not from unrestricted thinking. **In simple terms:** Free thought causes errors; wisdom comes from surviving crises. Key Takeaway Value experience over reckless freedom. Themes wisdom mistakes learning freedom human nature Mood cautious reflective Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - political decision making - personal growth - education reform - risk management Key Concepts philosophy psychology history Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance free thought with responsible action? - What role does failure play in personal development? A Different Perspective Free thought can also foster innovation and progress, not just folly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Disaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disaster/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Folly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/folly/) [Free thought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/free-thought/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Survivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/survivor/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed levees and exploded the conventional wisdom about a shared American prosperity, exposing a group of people so poor they didn't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-eric-dyson/hurricane-katrina-overwhelmed-levees-and-exploded-the-conventional/) [Michael Eric Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-eric-dyson/) > [There is a better way. 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