---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For just experience tells, in every soil…"
description: "\"For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil\" — Oliver Goldsmith"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/oliver-goldsmith-772_experience_for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil_1720290.png"
---

#  For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who…

![“For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil” quote by Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/oliver-goldsmith-772_experience_for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil_1720290.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/oliver-goldsmith-772_experience_for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil_1720290.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5f2/oliver-goldsmith-772_experience_for-just-experience-tells-in-every-soil_1720290.png)

> “For just experience tells, in every soil, That those who think must govern those who toil”

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Those who think they should rule over laborers often lack true understanding.

**In simple terms:** Thinkers lack practical insight.

Key Takeaway

Value lived experience.

Themes

leadership class knowledge governance humility

Mood

critical thoughtful

Type

philosophical political

When to use this quote

- political debates
- workplace management
- education

Key Concepts

political theory social hierarchy experience

Questions to Reflect On

- Who truly understands your work?
- How to bridge thought and labor?

A Different Perspective

Intellectual elitism can alienate.

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[Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/)

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> [Let the people think they govern and they will be governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-penn/let-the-people-think-they-govern-and-they-will-be-governed/)

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> [It is extreme arrogance for one to think he is the only one who can govern his country and nobody else can do it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kofi-annan/it-is-extreme-arrogance-for-one-to-think-he-is-the-only-one-who-can/)

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> [“Experience tells me habits are stronger than love, fear, and necessity. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandra-diaz-mattoni/experience-tells-me-habits-are-stronger-than-love-fear-and-necessity/)

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> [Cautious age suspects the flattering form, and only credits what experience tells.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/cautious-age-suspects-the-flattering-form-and-only-credits-what/)

[Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/)

> [“Experience tells us what not to do again &amp; what to do better. Our heart forgives whilst our mind remembers and becomes the gatekeeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bluenscottish/experience-tells-us-what-not-to-do-again-what-to-do-better-our-heart/)

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> [They that govern the most make the least noise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-selden/they-that-govern-the-most-make-the-least-noise/)

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> [“An anarchist government somehow creates an impression in the hearts of citizens that no one cares.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/an-anarchist-government-somehow-creates-an-impression-in-the-hearts/)

[Amit Kalantri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amit-kalantri/)

> [You should govern not by partisanship, but by leadership.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-faulconer/you-should-govern-not-by-partisanship-but-by-leadership/)

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> [The only legitimate right to govern is an express grant of power from the governed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-henry-harrison/the-only-legitimate-right-to-govern-is-an-express-grant-of-power-from/)

[William Henry Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-henry-harrison/)

## More by Oliver Goldsmith

> [The fortunate circumstances of our lives are generally found, at last, to be of our own producing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-fortunate-circumstances-of-our-lives-are-generally-found-at-last/)

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> [One man is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and the other with a wooden ladle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/one-man-is-born-with-a-silver-spoon-in-his-mouth-and-the-other-with-a/)

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> [He cast off his friends as a huntsman his pack, For he knew when he pleas'd he could whistle them back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/he-cast-off-his-friends-as-a-huntsman-his-pack-for-he-knew-when-he/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [Even children follow'd with endearing wile, And pluck'd his gown, to share the good man's smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/even-children-follow-d-with-endearing-wile-and-pluck-d-his-gown-to/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [The premises being thus settled, I proceed to observe that the concatenation of self-existence, proceeding in a reciprocal duplicate ratio, naturally produces a problematical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/the-premises-being-thus-settled-i-proceed-to-observe-that-the/)

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> [Truth from his lips prevailed with double sway, and fools, who came to scoff, remained to pray.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/truth-from-his-lips-prevailed-with-double-sway-and-fools-who-came-to/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [Politics resemble religion; attempting to divest either of ceremony is the most certain mode of bringing either into contempt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/politics-resemble-religion-attempting-to-divest-either-of-ceremony-is/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/to-what-fortuitous-occurrence-do-we-not-owe-every-pleasure-and/)

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> [Experience makes a lesson to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/experience-makes-a-lesson-to-us/)

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> [My favorite job is the next one. Its such a gratifying experience getting to creatively keep trying something new and push things in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-craig-smith/my-favorite-job-is-the-next-one-its-such-a-gratifying-experience/)

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[Michael Ledeen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ledeen/)

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