--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Let us consider how great a commodity of…" description: "\"Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists in books; how easily, how secretly, how safely they expose the nakedness of human ignorance wi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/richard-de-bury-38022_approach_let-us-consider-how-great-a-commodity-of_2045812.jpg" --- # Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists… ![“Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists in books; how easily, how secretly, how safely they expose the nakedness of human ignorance without putting it to shame. These are the masters who instruct us without rods and ferules, without hard words and anger, without clothes or money…” quote by Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/richard-de-bury-38022_approach_let-us-consider-how-great-a-commodity-of_2045812.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/richard-de-bury-38022_approach_let-us-consider-how-great-a-commodity-of_2045812.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40b/richard-de-bury-38022_approach_let-us-consider-how-great-a-commodity-of_2045812.jpg) > “Let us consider how great a commodity of doctrine exists in books; how easily, how secretly, how safely they expose the nakedness of human ignorance without putting it to shame. These are the masters who instruct us without rods and ferules, without hard words and anger, without clothes or money. If you approach them, they are not asleep; if investigating you interrogate them, they conceal nothing; if you mistake them, they never grumble; if you are ignorant, they cannot laugh at you.” [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Books can reveal human ignorance subtly, teaching without harshness, offering honest insight without judgment. **In simple terms:** Books expose ignorance gently and teach without scolding. Key Takeaway Seek knowledge that humbly reveals what you don't know. Themes education humility knowledge teaching Mood thoughtful reflective Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - self-study - academic research - personal reflection - teaching others Key Concepts epistemology pedagogy self-awareness Questions to Reflect On - How do you balance gentle learning with decisive action? - When does soft guidance become insufficient? A Different Perspective Such gentle instruction may lack urgency, leading to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Clothes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clothes/) [Commodity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/commodity/) [Doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doctrine/) [Expose Nakedness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expose-nakedness-3831066/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Hard words](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard-words/) [Human Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-ignorance-292807/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorance/) [Ignorant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ignorant/) [Instruction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/instruction/) [Investigating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/investigating/) [Laughing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/laughing/) [Masters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters/) [Masters Instruct](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/masters-instruct-878121/) [Mistake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mistake/) [Nakedness Human](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nakedness-human-3831067/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/) ## Related quotes > [Books are masters who instruct us without rods or ferules, without words or anger, without bread or money. If you approach them, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/books-are-masters-who-instruct-us-without-rods-or-ferules-without/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [ The greatest achievements in the science of this \[twentieth\] century are themselves the sources of more puzzlement than human beings have ever experienced. Indeed,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-greatest-achievements-in-the-science-of-this-twentieth-century/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [To inquisitive minds like yours and mine the reflection that the quantity of human knowledge bears no proportion to the quantity of human ignorance…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/to-inquisitive-minds-like-yours-and-mine-the-reflection-that-the/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [Most books are about aspects of human knowledge - Few people write books about human ignorance, despite the fact that there would be much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/piero-scaruffi/most-books-are-about-aspects-of-human-knowledge-few-people-write/) [Piero Scaruffi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/piero-scaruffi/) > [“While religious faith is the one species of human ignorance that will not admit of even the possibility of correction, it is still sheltered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/while-religious-faith-is-the-one-species-of-human-ignorance-that-will/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [human honesty has its varieties; so does human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-mcnair-wright/human-honesty-has-its-varieties-so-does-human-ignorance/) [Julia McNair Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-mcnair-wright/) > [Of all the wastes of human ignorance perhaps the most extravagant and costly to human growth has been the waste of the distinctive powers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-garlin-spencer/of-all-the-wastes-of-human-ignorance-perhaps-the-most-extravagant-and/) [Anna Garlin Spencer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-garlin-spencer/) > [The reason that history so often repeats is not only human nature, but also human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-beck/the-reason-that-history-so-often-repeats-is-not-only-human-nature-but/) [Glenn Beck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-beck/) > [The only thing worse than human ignorance is human pride in that ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-takei/the-only-thing-worse-than-human-ignorance-is-human-pride-in-that/) [George Takei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-takei/) > [Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/theology-is-now-little-more-than-a-branch-of-human-ignorance/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“Why do we care about Lizzie Borden, or Judge Crater, or Lee Harvey Oswald, or the Little Big Horn? Mystery! Because of all that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-o-brien/why-do-we-care-about-lizzie-borden-or-judge-crater-or-lee-harvey/) [Tim O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-o-brien/) > [“Religion is nothing more than bad concepts held in place of good ones for all time. It is denial - at once full of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religion-is-nothing-more-than-bad-concepts-held-in-place-of-good-ones/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [The greatest of all the accomplishments of 20th century science has been the discovery of human ignorance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/the-greatest-of-all-the-accomplishments-of-20th-century-science-has/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [Religious faith is the one species of human ignorance that will not admit of even the possibility of correction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-harris/religious-faith-is-the-one-species-of-human-ignorance-that-will-not/) [Sam Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-harris/) > [“dialogue led participants not to certainty but to a shocking realization of the profundity of human ignorance. However carefully, logically, and rationally Socrates and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/dialogue-led-participants-not-to-certainty-but-to-a-shocking/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) ## More by Richard de Bury > [Books are masters who instruct us without rods or ferules, without words or anger, without bread or money. If you approach them, they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/books-are-masters-who-instruct-us-without-rods-or-ferules-without/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [Books appear to be the most immediate instruments of speculative delight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/books-appear-to-be-the-most-immediate-instruments-of-speculative/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [All the glory of the world would be buried in oblivion, unless God had provided mortals with the remedy of books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/all-the-glory-of-the-world-would-be-buried-in-oblivion-unless-god-had/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [“In books I meet the dead as if they were alive in books I see what is yet to come... All things decay and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/in-books-i-meet-the-dead-as-if-they-were-alive-in-books-i-see-what-is/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [You, O Books, are the golden vessels of the temple, the arms of the clerical militia with which the missiles of the most wicked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/you-o-books-are-the-golden-vessels-of-the-temple-the-arms-of-the/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [ “\[A\]ll who are smitten with the love of books think cheaply of the world and wealth; as Jerome says to Vigilantius: The same man… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/a-ll-who-are-smitten-with-the-love-of-books-think-cheaply-of-the/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [The library...of wisdom is more precious than all riches, and nothing that can be wished for is worthy to be compared with it. Whosoever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/the-library-of-wisdom-is-more-precious-than-all-riches-and-nothing/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [Books alone are liberal and free; they give to all who ask; they emancipate all who serve them faithfully.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/books-alone-are-liberal-and-free-they-give-to-all-who-ask-they/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [Books delight us when prosperity smiles upon us; they comfort us inseparably when stormy fortune frowns on us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/books-delight-us-when-prosperity-smiles-upon-us-they-comfort-us/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [A library of wisdom, then, is more precious than all wealth, and all things that are desirable cannot be compared to it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/a-library-of-wisdom-then-is-more-precious-than-all-wealth-and-all/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) > [“Again, all who are smitten with the love of books think cheaply of the world and wealth; as Jerome says to Vigilantius: The same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-de-bury/again-all-who-are-smitten-with-the-love-of-books-think-cheaply-of-the/) [Richard de Bury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) [Explore all 12 Richard de Bury quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-de-bury/) ## More Approach quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [I'm in a business where there's complete anarchy. You can't control it - you can only react to it. The control that people traditionally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-sorrell/i-m-in-a-business-where-there-s-complete-anarchy-you-can-t-control-it/) [Martin Sorrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-sorrell/) > [When you approach something to photograph it, first be still with yourself until the object of your attention affirms your presence. Then don't leave…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minor-white/when-you-approach-something-to-photograph-it-first-be-still-with/) [Minor White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minor-white/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) > [One of the things I regret about not putting in that book or I think it's there but I didn't really elaborate on it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-warner/one-of-the-things-i-regret-about-not-putting-in-that-book-or-i-think/) [Brad Warner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-warner/) > [Ideal for the child and society in the best of times, Rudolf Steiner's brilliant process of education is critically needed and profoundly relevant now…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-chilton-pearce/ideal-for-the-child-and-society-in-the-best-of-times-rudolf-steiner-s/) [Joseph Chilton Pearce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-chilton-pearce/) > [I don't have any particular method, my approach is very simple. I try to understand the emotional graph of the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-don-t-have-any-particular-method-my-approach-is-very-simple-i-try/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everything, every part that you approach has to be somehow rooted in yourself. You have to somehow root everything so that it's not just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judi-dench/everything-every-part-that-you-approach-has-to-be-somehow-rooted-in/) [Judi Dench](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judi-dench/) > [Literature transforms and intensifies ordinary language, deviates systematically from everyday speech. If you approach me at a bus stop and murmur Thou still unravished…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-eagleton/literature-transforms-and-intensifies-ordinary-language-deviates/) [Terry Eagleton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-eagleton/) > [The whole secret to mastering the game of golf - and this applies to the beginner as well as the pro - is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-palmer/the-whole-secret-to-mastering-the-game-of-golf-and-this-applies-to/) [Arnold Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-palmer/) > [The essence of Christianity...is an ever-new encounter with... the God who speaks to us, who approaches us and who befriends us!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/the-essence-of-christianity-is-an-ever-new-encounter-with-the-god-who/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [Like a morning dream, life becomes more and more bright the longer we live, and the reason of everything appears more clear. 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