Knowledge Quote by Marianne Moore
““Wolf's wool is the best wool, but it cannot be sheared, because the wolf will not comply. With knowledge as with wolves' surliness, the student studies voluntarily, refusing to be less than individual. He "gives his opinion and then rests upon it"; he renders service when there is no reward, and is too reclusive for some things to seem to touch him; not because he has no feeling but because he has so much.””
About This Quote
Source Poem: "The Fish" by Marianne Moore, 1921
A student must study willingly, not for external rewards, and remain true to personal insight despite isolation.
In simple terms: Study willingly, stay true to yourself.
Key Takeaway
Seek knowledge for its own sake.
Themes
education
individualism
volition
solitude
Mood
thoughtful
introspective
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- academic research
- personal growth
- creative work
- self‑reflection
Key Concepts
philosophy
self‑directed learning
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you stay motivated without external rewards?
- What does it mean to be truly independent?
A Different Perspective
May lack external motivation or community support.
![“I never knew any man who had once tasted the sweetness of experimental knowledge, that ever afterward fasted after ye Vapour garlick and onions of phantasmatical seeming philosophy." [William Petty]” quote by Carl Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/e5a/carl-zimmer-16331_knowledge_i-never-knew-any-man-who-had-once-tasted_1770.jpg)
