Achieve Quote by John Dewey
“An empirical philosophy is in any case a kind of intellectual disrobing. We cannot permanently divest ourselves of the intellectual habits we take on and wear when we assimilate the culture of our own time and place. But intelligent furthering of culture demands that we take some of them off, that we inspect them critically to see what they are made of and what wearing them does to us. We cannot achieve recovery of primitive naïveté. But there is attainable a cultivated naïveté of eye, ear and thought.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Experience and Nature, John Dewey, 1925
Intellectual habits shape perception; critical examination can strip away biases, revealing a fresh, cultivated naïveté.
In simple terms: Question habits can hide truth; examining them reveals clarity.
Key Takeaway
Question habits, seek clarity.
Themes
philosophy
critical thinking
self-awareness
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
philosophical
analytical
When to use this quote
- academic study
- personal reflection
- teaching
- creative work
Key Concepts
cognitive bias
naïveté
cultural conditioning
Questions to Reflect On
- How do your cultural habits shape your thoughts?
- Can you identify a habit that blinds you?
A Different Perspective
Cultivated naïveté may limit depth of insight.
