Book Quote by Joseph Connolly
““Try to avoid your house catching fire, as this does no good at all. And while your house is still intact, it is a sound idea to persuade all babies and animals to live in another one - and if you really value your books, only offer hospitality to illiterates who won't persist in bloody touching them all the time. Mind you, you will have to tolerate them telling you you could open a shop with all these books (people have suggested this to me - in the shop) and betting that you haven't read them all.””
About This Quote
A satirical warning against overprotecting possessions and the absurdity of restricting knowledge to only those who cannot appreciate it.
In simple terms: Satire on hoarding and censorship
Key Takeaway
Protecting assets can lead to absurd extremes
Themes
satire
censorship
materialism
knowledge
absurdity
Mood
wry
critical
ironic
Type
proverbial
humorous
When to use this quote
- protecting valuable items
- restricting access to books
- dealing with overprotective owners
Key Concepts
hoarding
intellectual property
social control
Practical Applications
- cautionary humor
- social commentary
Questions to Reflect On
- What does this say about the value we place on material vs. intellectual wealth?
- How can we balance protection with openness?
