--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world and all its wisdom is but a…" description: "\"The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering school-boy that needs management and could be managed, if men and women would be human beings i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png" --- # The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering… ![“The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering school-boy that needs management and could be managed, if men and women would be human beings instead of just business men, or plumbers, or army officers, or commuters, or educators, or authors, or clubwomen, or traveling salesmen, or…” quote by Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png) > “The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering school-boy that needs management and could be managed, if men and women would be human beings instead of just business men, or plumbers, or army officers, or commuters, or educators, or authors, or clubwomen, or traveling salesmen, or Socialists, or Republicans, or Salvation Army leaders, or wearers of cloths.” [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Humanity is reduced to roles; true humanity requires seeing beyond professions. **In simple terms:** People become labels, not beings. Key Takeaway See people beyond their jobs. Themes identity humanity society roles Mood critical contemplative Type social philosophical When to use this quote - workplace - politics - education - community building Key Concepts philosophy social critique Questions to Reflect On - What labels do you assign? - How can you practice true humanity? A Different Perspective Changing labels may ignore systemic issues. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Army officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army-officers-10727/) [Beings Instead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beings-instead-932609/) [Blundering School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/blundering-school-5944471/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/) [Business](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business/) [Business man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/business-man/) [Educator](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/educator/) [Human beings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-beings/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Leader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leader/) [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Managed Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/managed-men-5944472/) [Management](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/management/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men and women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-and-women/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Officers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/officers/) [Plumber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/plumber/) [Republican](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/republican/) [Salesman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salesman/) [Salvation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation/) [Salvation army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salvation-army/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-wisdom-929274/) [Would be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would-be/) ## Related quotes > [Why are there beings at all, instead of Nothing?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/why-are-there-beings-at-all-instead-of-nothing/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) > [Why are there beings at all instead of nothing? That is the question. Presumably it is not arbitrary question, "Why are there beings at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-heidegger/why-are-there-beings-at-all-instead-of-nothing-that-is-the-question/) [Martin Heidegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-heidegger/) > [Lots of army officers... a large number still believe that I have done my best for this country. 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But there were certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-e-persico/a-great-many-of-the-army-officers-were-very-fine-in-the-way-that-they/) [Joseph E. Persico](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-e-persico/) > [Our cause in the war on terror isn't helped when we have army officers like Lieutenant General William Boykin speaking in evangelical churches and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/our-cause-in-the-war-on-terror-isn-t-helped-when-we-have-army/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [One cannot avoid a certain feeling of disgust, when one observes the actions of man displayed on the great stage of the world. Wisdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-kant/one-cannot-avoid-a-certain-feeling-of-disgust-when-one-observes-the/) [Immanuel Kant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-kant/) > [As a lifelong student of the world’s wisdom literature, it is my duty to inform students that “ridding the world of evil” is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-james-duncan/as-a-lifelong-student-of-the-world-s-wisdom-literature-it-is-my-duty/) [David James Duncan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-james-duncan/) > [Assuming, as you grow older, that you're the guardian of the world's wisdom, even if you haven't necessarily lived enough to know what's right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/assuming-as-you-grow-older-that-you-re-the-guardian-of-the-world-s/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [See the world with the innocence of children. Approach the world with the daring of children. Love the world with the readiness of children.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/see-the-world-with-the-innocence-of-children-approach-the-world-with/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [Much of this world's wisdom is still acquired by necromancy,--by consulting the oracular dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augustus-william-hare/much-of-this-world-s-wisdom-is-still-acquired-by-necromancy-by/) [Augustus William Hare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augustus-william-hare/) > [“It has been said that the French revolution resulted from philosophy, and it is not without reason that philosophy has been called Weltweisheit \[world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/it-has-been-said-that-the-french-revolution-resulted-from-philosophy/) [Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel/) > [The hope of the world is that wisdom can arrest conflict between brothers. I believe that war is the deadly harvest of arrogant and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-hope-of-the-world-is-that-wisdom-can-arrest-conflict-between/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Common sense suits itself to the ways of the world. Wisdom tries to confirm to the ways of heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-joubert/common-sense-suits-itself-to-the-ways-of-the-world-wisdom-tries-to/) [Joseph Joubert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-joubert/) ## More by Sinclair Lewis > [“She found beauty in the children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/she-found-beauty-in-the-children/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [What is Love? Listen! It is the rainbow that stands out, in all its glorious many-colored hues, illuminating and making glad again the dark…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/what-is-love-listen-it-is-the-rainbow-that-stands-out-in-all-its/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [When you think that most of us are doomed by divine grace to roast in hell, to say nothing of mortgages and hail and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/when-you-think-that-most-of-us-are-doomed-by-divine-grace-to-roast-in/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [He loved the people just as much as he feared and detested persons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/he-loved-the-people-just-as-much-as-he-feared-and-detested-persons/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“He had expected that traditionally Republican Vermont would give him too drearily easy a task in preaching Trowbridge. What he found was a dismaying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/he-had-expected-that-traditionally-republican-vermont-would-give-him/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“Day on day he waited. So much of a revolution for so many people is nothing but waiting. That is one reason why tourists…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/day-on-day-he-waited-so-much-of-a-revolution-for-so-many-people-is/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“She continued it to Hugh, 'Darling, do you know what mother and you are going to find beyond the blue horizon rim?' 'What?' flatly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/she-continued-it-to-hugh-darling-do-you-know-what-mother-and-you-are/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Is it possible that nobody has ever known that there never has been a completely civilized man, and won't be for another thousand years?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/is-it-possible-that-nobody-has-ever-known-that-there-never-has-been-a/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“I think perhaps we want a more conscientious life. We're tired of drudging and sleeping and dying. We're tired of always deferring hope to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/i-think-perhaps-we-want-a-more-conscientious-life-we-re-tired-of/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [It might be the doing of Satan, in whom Aaron anxiously believed with all of his being except, perhaps, his mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/it-might-be-the-doing-of-satan-in-whom-aaron-anxiously-believed-with/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“The author says one character's definition of a classic is any book he'd heard of before he was thirty.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-author-says-one-character-s-definition-of-a-classic-is-any-book/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“Like all males, he hated to confess ignorance by asking directions,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/like-all-males-he-hated-to-confess-ignorance-by-asking-directions/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [Winter is not a season, it's an occupation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/winter-is-not-a-season-it-s-an-occupation/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“Author sees the "congested idealism" of the generally discontent as reservoir that will support centralized power even while disagreeing with many specific provisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/author-sees-the-congested-idealism-of-the-generally-discontent-as/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) > [“The poor we have always with us, and the purpose of the Lord in providing the poor is to enable us of the better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-poor-we-have-always-with-us-and-the-purpose-of-the-lord-in/) [Sinclair Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) [Explore all 196 Sinclair Lewis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/) ## More Army quotes > [There are no more worlds to conquer!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/there-are-no-more-worlds-to-conquer/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“In American terms, the accomplishment of Genghis Khan might be understood if the United States, instead of being created by a group of educated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-weatherford/in-american-terms-the-accomplishment-of-genghis-khan-might-be/) [Jack Weatherford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-weatherford/) > [Every army in the history of the world has always had some deserters, usually much greater than we have today, because once again every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-hilferty/every-army-in-the-history-of-the-world-has-always-had-some-deserters/) [Bryan Hilferty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-hilferty/) > [It is the rule in war, if our forces are ten to the enemy's one, to surround him; if five to one, to attack…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sun-tzu/it-is-the-rule-in-war-if-our-forces-are-ten-to-the-enemy-s-one-to/) [Sun Tzu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sun-tzu/) > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... Prearranged surprises are rare and difficult because in order to plan one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-henri-jomini/the-surprise-of-an-army-is-now-next-to-an-impossibility-prearranged/) [Antoine-Henri Jomini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-henri-jomini/) > [I just read an article about how young American males feel uncomfortable appearing naked in front of each other in locker rooms. That was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-ivory/i-just-read-an-article-about-how-young-american-males-feel/) [James Ivory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-ivory/) > [ I can't imagine that I would be asked that by the president-elect \[Donald Trump\], or then-president \[Barack Obama\]. But it's - I'm very clear.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-mattis/i-can-t-imagine-that-i-would-be-asked-that-by-the-president-elect/) [James Mattis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-mattis/) > [Holy shadows of the dead, I'm not to blame for your cruel and bitter fate, but the accursed rivalry which brought sister nations and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-the-great/holy-shadows-of-the-dead-i-m-not-to-blame-for-your-cruel-and-bitter/) [Alexander the Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-the-great/) > [“The most important lesson that came out of Vietnam for me was that Marines take care of Marines.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-clancy/the-most-important-lesson-that-came-out-of-vietnam-for-me-was-that/) [Tom Clancy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-clancy/) > [One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. Do not misunderstand me. I do not mean the Church as we see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/one-of-our-great-allies-at-present-is-the-church-itself-do-not/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [I have real strong feelings about our troops and support them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-fichtner/i-have-real-strong-feelings-about-our-troops-and-support-them/) [William Fichtner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-fichtner/) > [Personally, I don't really have a set style or look. It's pretty much what I feel like wearing that day, from a floral-print dress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shay-mitchell/personally-i-don-t-really-have-a-set-style-or-look-it-s-pretty-much/) [Shay Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shay-mitchell/) > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-h-prescott/don-t-fire-until-you-see-the-whites-of-their-eyes/) [William H. Prescott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-h-prescott/) > [Thanks to all members of the military around the world for giving me the ultimate motivation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalya-neidhart/thanks-to-all-members-of-the-military-around-the-world-for-giving-me/) [Natalya Neidhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalya-neidhart/) [Browse all 3,919 Army quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering school-boy that needs management and could be managed, if men and women would be human beings instead of just business men, or plumbers, or army officers, or commuters, or educators, or authors, or clubwomen, or traveling salesmen, or Socialists, or Republicans, or Salvation Army leaders, or wearers of cloths.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sinclair Lewis" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-booby-blundering-school-boy/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Army" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-booby-blundering-school-boy/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/007/sinclair-lewis-1945_army_the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-bo_3201323.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world and all its wisdom is but a booby, blundering school-boy that needs management and could be…” — Sinclair Lewis", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Sinclair Lewis", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sinclair-lewis/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The world and all its wisdom...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-booby-blundering-school-boy/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sinclair-lewis/the-world-and-all-its-wisdom-is-but-a-booby-blundering-school-boy/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```