--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: For once the disease of reading has laid…" description: "\"“For once the disease of reading has laid upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/virginia-woolf-49_reading_for-once-the-disease-of-reading-has-laid_1327728.jpg" --- # For once the disease of reading has laid upon the system… ![“For once the disease of reading has laid upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. The wretch takes to writing.” quote by Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/virginia-woolf-49_reading_for-once-the-disease-of-reading-has-laid_1327728.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/virginia-woolf-49_reading_for-once-the-disease-of-reading-has-laid_1327728.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/818/virginia-woolf-49_reading_for-once-the-disease-of-reading-has-laid_1327728.jpg) > ““For once the disease of reading has laid upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. The wretch takes to writing.”” [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Reading weakens the mind, making it vulnerable to the corrupting influence of writing; the writer becomes a wretched figure. **In simple terms:** Reading can make writing seem dangerous. Key Takeaway Be cautious of how reading influences writing. Themes literature creativity danger Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - academic study - writing workshops - literary criticism - personal reflection Key Concepts influence intellectual fatigue creative process Questions to Reflect On - How does reading shape your own writing? - Can reading be both a strength and a weakness? A Different Perspective The view is overly pessimistic; reading also enriches writing. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Quill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quill/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“A fine gentleman like that, they said, had no need of books. Let him leave books, they said, to the palsied or the dying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-fine-gentleman-like-that-they-said-had-no-need-of-books-let-him/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [I'm too old-fashioned to use a computer. I'm too old-fashioned to use a quill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-plummer/i-m-too-old-fashioned-to-use-a-computer-i-m-too-old-fashioned-to-use/) [Christopher Plummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-plummer/) > [I still use quill and parchment. I do e-mails, and I write, but I don't go around surfing too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-nunez/i-still-use-quill-and-parchment-i-do-e-mails-and-i-write-but-i-don-t/) [Oscar Nunez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-nunez/) > [“The note in the quill was intended for the girl, and it read, 'Yes and yes and yes.' Yes I love you, yes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meir-shalev/the-note-in-the-quill-was-intended-for-the-girl-and-it-read-yes-and/) [Meir Shalev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meir-shalev/) > [“He walked out into the road and stood. The silence. The salitter drying from the earth. The mudstained shapes of flooded cities burned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-walked-out-into-the-road-and-stood-the-silence-the-salitter-drying/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [Quill: An instrument of torture yielded by a goose and commonly weilded by as ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/quill-an-instrument-of-torture-yielded-by-a-goose-and-commonly/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Jemmy dipped the quill in beet juice and continued scribbling. "I'll tell him you've got reserved seats in Hell." "Aye! That's the ticket!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-fleischman/jemmy-dipped-the-quill-in-beet-juice-and-continued-scribbling-i-ll/) [Sid Fleischman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-fleischman/) > [That's very cool. Absolutely! You want to know where this guy came from, but you also want to know about the relationship between him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rooker/that-s-very-cool-absolutely-you-want-to-know-where-this-guy-came-from/) [Michael Rooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rooker/) > [“I think the perfect pen name is Quill McSeagull. Especially for writing flights of fancy—and nothing has more feathers than a love poem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-think-the-perfect-pen-name-is-quill-mcseagull-especially-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-use-a-pen-i-write-with-a-goose-quill-dipped-in-venom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Moon, worn thin to the width of a quill,/ In the dawn clouds flying,/ How good to go, light into light, and still/ Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-teasdale/moon-worn-thin-to-the-width-of-a-quill-in-the-dawn-clouds-flying-how/) [Sara Teasdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-teasdale/) > [“Call me Billy one more time, and I will stab you with this ink quill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/call-me-billy-one-more-time-and-i-will-stab-you-with-this-ink-quill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Author: A common gadabout who freely wanders over the landscape with wanton disregard. His days are spent picking up all the stray free words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-throckmorton/author-a-common-gadabout-who-freely-wanders-over-the-landscape-with/) Leopold Throckmorton > [“Will Peter be joining us for tea, do you think?' 'I doubt it. Peter rarely returns home before late in the evening.' 'Oh.' Quill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/will-peter-be-joining-us-for-tea-do-you-think-i-doubt-it-peter-rarely/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“But, Leader, she is wrong - "Maybe she is," Quill say and looks at Becca. Her heart pounds so hard she can barely hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/but-leader-she-is-wrong-maybe-she-is-quill-say-and-looks-at-becca-her/) [K. Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/) ## More by Virginia Woolf > [Fatigue is the safest sleeping draught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/fatigue-is-the-safest-sleeping-draught/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“The train slows and lengthens, as we approach London, the centre, and my heart draws out too, in fear, in exaltation. I am about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-train-slows-and-lengthens-as-we-approach-london-the-centre-and-my/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Across the broad continent of a woman's life falls the shadow of a sword. On one side all is correct, definite, orderly; the paths…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/across-the-broad-continent-of-a-woman-s-life-falls-the-shadow-of-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Other worshipful objects were content with worship; men, women, God, all let one kneel prostrate; but this form, were it only the shape of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/other-worshipful-objects-were-content-with-worship-men-women-god-all/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Why does Samuel Butler say, 'Wise men never say what they think of women'? Wise men never say anything else apparently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/why-does-samuel-butler-say-wise-men-never-say-what-they-think-of/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“Sometimes he woke with a brain like lead; at others it was as if a thousand wax tapers were alight and people were throwing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/sometimes-he-woke-with-a-brain-like-lead-at-others-it-was-as-if-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [The extraordinary woman depends on the ordinary woman. It is only when we know what were the conditions of the average woman's life -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/the-extraordinary-woman-depends-on-the-ordinary-woman-it-is-only-when/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [A veil of insanity everywhere: Oh why I was born in this age? It is a terrible age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-veil-of-insanity-everywhere-oh-why-i-was-born-in-this-age-it-is-a/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [Love ought to stop on both sides, don’t you think, simultaneously?’ He spoke without any stress on the words, so as not to wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/love-ought-to-stop-on-both-sides-don-t-you-think-simultaneously-he/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“It is so vast an alleviation to be able to point for another to look at. And then not to talk. To follow the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/it-is-so-vast-an-alleviation-to-be-able-to-point-for-another-to-look/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“What a vast fertility of pleasure books hold for me! (...) I think I could happily live here & read forever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-vast-fertility-of-pleasure-books-hold-for-me-i-think-i-could/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“what a luxury to be alone once more,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/what-a-luxury-to-be-alone-once-more/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“...a woman writing thinks back through her mothers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/a-woman-writing-thinks-back-through-her-mothers/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“For one's children so often gave one's own perceptions a little thrust forwards.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/for-one-s-children-so-often-gave-one-s-own-perceptions-a-little/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“She would not say of anyone in the world now that they were this or were that. She felt very young; at the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/she-would-not-say-of-anyone-in-the-world-now-that-they-were-this-or/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) [Explore all 1,872 Virginia Woolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) ## More Quill quotes > [“But, Leader, she is wrong - "Maybe she is," Quill say and looks at Becca. Her heart pounds so hard she can barely hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-weikel/but-leader-she-is-wrong-maybe-she-is-quill-say-and-looks-at-becca-her/) [K. Weikel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-weikel/) > [“Will Peter be joining us for tea, do you think?' 'I doubt it. Peter rarely returns home before late in the evening.' 'Oh.' Quill…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eloisa-james/will-peter-be-joining-us-for-tea-do-you-think-i-doubt-it-peter-rarely/) [Eloisa James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eloisa-james/) > [“Author: A common gadabout who freely wanders over the landscape with wanton disregard. His days are spent picking up all the stray free words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leopold-throckmorton/author-a-common-gadabout-who-freely-wanders-over-the-landscape-with/) Leopold Throckmorton > [“Call me Billy one more time, and I will stab you with this ink quill”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/call-me-billy-one-more-time-and-i-will-stab-you-with-this-ink-quill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Moon, worn thin to the width of a quill,/ In the dawn clouds flying,/ How good to go, light into light, and still/ Giving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-teasdale/moon-worn-thin-to-the-width-of-a-quill-in-the-dawn-clouds-flying-how/) [Sara Teasdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-teasdale/) > [I don't use a pen. I write with a goose quill dipped in venom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-don-t-use-a-pen-i-write-with-a-goose-quill-dipped-in-venom/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I think the perfect pen name is Quill McSeagull. Especially for writing flights of fancy—and nothing has more feathers than a love poem.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/i-think-the-perfect-pen-name-is-quill-mcseagull-especially-for/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [That's very cool. Absolutely! You want to know where this guy came from, but you also want to know about the relationship between him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rooker/that-s-very-cool-absolutely-you-want-to-know-where-this-guy-came-from/) [Michael Rooker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rooker/) > [“Jemmy dipped the quill in beet juice and continued scribbling. "I'll tell him you've got reserved seats in Hell." "Aye! That's the ticket!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sid-fleischman/jemmy-dipped-the-quill-in-beet-juice-and-continued-scribbling-i-ll/) [Sid Fleischman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sid-fleischman/) > [Quill: An instrument of torture yielded by a goose and commonly weilded by as ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/quill-an-instrument-of-torture-yielded-by-a-goose-and-commonly/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“He walked out into the road and stood. The silence. The salitter drying from the earth. The mudstained shapes of flooded cities burned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cormac-mccarthy/he-walked-out-into-the-road-and-stood-the-silence-the-salitter-drying/) [Cormac McCarthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cormac-mccarthy/) > [“The note in the quill was intended for the girl, and it read, 'Yes and yes and yes.' Yes I love you, yes I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meir-shalev/the-note-in-the-quill-was-intended-for-the-girl-and-it-read-yes-and/) [Meir Shalev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meir-shalev/) > [I still use quill and parchment. I do e-mails, and I write, but I don't go around surfing too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-nunez/i-still-use-quill-and-parchment-i-do-e-mails-and-i-write-but-i-don-t/) [Oscar Nunez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-nunez/) > [I'm too old-fashioned to use a computer. I'm too old-fashioned to use a quill.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-plummer/i-m-too-old-fashioned-to-use-a-computer-i-m-too-old-fashioned-to-use/) [Christopher Plummer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-plummer/) > [“You haven’t given me any ink,” he said. “Oh, you won’t need ink,” said Professor Umbridge with the merest suggestion of a laugh in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling/you-haven-t-given-me-any-ink-he-said-oh-you-won-t-need-ink-said/) [J.K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling/) [Browse all 36 Quill quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/quill/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“For once the disease of reading has laid upon the system it weakens it so that it falls an easy prey to that other scourge which dwells in the inkpot and festers in the quill. 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