--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Reading is good, hearing is good…" description: "\"Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and meditation are good; but then, they are only good at times and occasions, in a certain degree, and m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png" --- # Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and… ![“Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and meditation are good; but then, they are only good at times and occasions, in a certain degree, and must be used and governed with such caution as we eat and drink and refresh ourselves, or they will bring forth in us the fruits of intemperance.” quote by William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png) > “Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and meditation are good; but then, they are only good at times and occasions, in a certain degree, and must be used and governed with such caution as we eat and drink and refresh ourselves, or they will bring forth in us the fruits of intemperance.” [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intellectual pursuits are valuable but must be practiced with moderation and self‑control. **In simple terms:** Use knowledge wisely and in balance. Key Takeaway Practice wisdom with temperance. Themes wisdom moderation self‑control learning discipline Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - studying - debating - meditation - daily decision making Key Concepts philosophy ethical living mindful practice Questions to Reflect On - What habits need moderation in your life? - How do you ensure balanced consumption of ideas? A Different Perspective Excessive indulgence in any activity can lead to imbalance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Caution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) [Certain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certain/) [Christian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian/) [Communication](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/communication/) [Conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conversation/) [Degrees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degrees/) [Drink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drink/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Good conversation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-conversation/) [Good Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-hearing-551238/) [Hearing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing/) [Hearing Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hearing-good-1626035/) [Intemperance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intemperance/) [Meditation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation/) [Meditation Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/meditation-good-1432132/) [Occasions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/occasions/) [Reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading/) [Reading Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reading-good/) [Religious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religious/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [It is almost intrinsically impossible for ideas about how we are fooling ourselves to gain an adequate hearing. We are good enough at it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-konner/it-is-almost-intrinsically-impossible-for-ideas-about-how-we-are/) [Melvin Konner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-konner/) > [I'd rather you listen to my music with a confused face, you know? Rather than you just hearing a good flow to a good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blueface/i-d-rather-you-listen-to-my-music-with-a-confused-face-you-know/) [Blueface](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blueface/) > [Basically you're doing the best you possibly could do and until it's out there and until people are hearing good feedback, I guess that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-benante/basically-you-re-doing-the-best-you-possibly-could-do-and-until-it-s/) [Charlie Benante](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-benante/) > [What I lack in height, I make up for in wicked good hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-harper/what-i-lack-in-height-i-make-up-for-in-wicked-good-hearing/) [Roy Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-harper/) > [I had really good hearing and when you're scared it gets heightened so you hear scratching noises or something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-crystal/i-had-really-good-hearing-and-when-you-re-scared-it-gets-heightened/) [Billy Crystal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-crystal/) > [There must not only be good preaching, but good hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-c-ryle/there-must-not-only-be-good-preaching-but-good-hearing/) [J. C. Ryle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-c-ryle/) > [When I talk about having good hearing, I don't mean just listening, but listening to yourself. When I talk about good eyesight, I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/when-i-talk-about-having-good-hearing-i-don-t-mean-just-listening-but/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [I was always good at hearing complete arrangements in my head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-page/i-was-always-good-at-hearing-complete-arrangements-in-my-head/) [Jimmy Page](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-page/) > [I don't know how good your hearing is, but if you don't understand what I'm saying I always have a little bit of sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-don-t-know-how-good-your-hearing-is-but-if-you-don-t-understand-2/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [“How good is your hearing?' 'What?' 'Haha' I say dryly”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ee/how-good-is-your-hearing-what-haha-i-say-dryly/) [Susan Ee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ee/) > [I don't know how good your hearing is, but if you don't understand what I'm saying I always have a little bit of sign…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stone-cold-steve-austin/i-don-t-know-how-good-your-hearing-is-but-if-you-don-t-understand/) [Stone Cold Steve Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stone-cold-steve-austin/) > [My life includes much meditation and good energy, so my mind will stay busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-mercado/my-life-includes-much-meditation-and-good-energy-so-my-mind-will-stay/) [Walter Mercado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-mercado/) > [Sleeping is like meditation: it's good to rest the body but also to shut the mind down for a bit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-joshua/sleeping-is-like-meditation-it-s-good-to-rest-the-body-but-also-to/) [Anthony Joshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-joshua/) > [We don’t sit in meditation to become good meditators. We sit in meditation so that we’ll be more awake in our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pema-ch-dr-n/we-don-t-sit-in-meditation-to-become-good-meditators-we-sit-in/) [Pema Chodron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pema-ch-dr-n/) > [“Meditation is good for relaxation, and calming of the soul. Just pay attention to your life and you will always see the path your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-g-ortiz/meditation-is-good-for-relaxation-and-calming-of-the-soul-just-pay/) [Kenneth G. Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-g-ortiz/) ## More by William Law > [The will is that which has all power; it makes heaven and it makes hell: for there is no hell but where the will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/the-will-is-that-which-has-all-power-it-makes-heaven-and-it-makes/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [No education can be of true advantage to young women but that which trains them up in humble industry, in great plainness of living,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/no-education-can-be-of-true-advantage-to-young-women-but-that-which/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [Be intent upon the perfection of the present day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/be-intent-upon-the-perfection-of-the-present-day/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/would-you-know-who-is-the-greatest-saint-in-the-world-it-is-not-he/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [Man needs to be Saved from his own Wisdom as much as from his own Righteousness, for they produce one and the same corruption.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/man-needs-to-be-saved-from-his-own-wisdom-as-much-as-from-his-own/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [Be intent on the perfection of the present day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/be-intent-on-the-perfection-of-the-present-day/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [Hell is nothing else but nature departed or excluded from the beam of divine light.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/hell-is-nothing-else-but-nature-departed-or-excluded-from-the-beam-of/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [If you attempt to talk with a dying man about sports or business, he is no longer interested. He now sees other things as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/if-you-attempt-to-talk-with-a-dying-man-about-sports-or-business-he/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [What could begin to deny self, if there were not something in man different from self?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/what-could-begin-to-deny-self-if-there-were-not-something-in-man/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [From morning to night keep Jesus in thy heart, long for nothing, desire nothing, hope for nothing but to have all that is within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/from-morning-to-night-keep-jesus-in-thy-heart-long-for-nothing-desire/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [The Prophet had made dishonorable proposals to my wife... under cover of his asserted 'Revelation.'... Smith told his wife Jane the Lord had commanded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/the-prophet-had-made-dishonorable-proposals-to-my-wife-under-cover-of/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [This is the state of all creatures, whether men or angels; as they make not themselves, so they enjoy nothing from themselves; if they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/this-is-the-state-of-all-creatures-whether-men-or-angels-as-they-make/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [You have no questions to ask of any body, no new way that you need inquire after; no oracle that you need to consult;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/you-have-no-questions-to-ask-of-any-body-no-new-way-that-you-need/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [If someone is leaving you behind, and you are becoming jealous and embittered, keep praying that he may have success in the very matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/if-someone-is-leaving-you-behind-and-you-are-becoming-jealous-and/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) > [The greatest saint in the world is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives alms, or is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/the-greatest-saint-in-the-world-is-not-he-who-prays-most-or-fasts/) [William Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) [Explore all 81 William Law quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/) ## More Caution quotes > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [Ancient eyes had stared at me, filled with ancient grief. And something more. Something so alien and unexpected that I'd almost burst into tears.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-marie-moning/ancient-eyes-had-stared-at-me-filled-with-ancient-grief-and-something/) [Karen Marie Moning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-marie-moning/) > [It requires as much to tell the truth as to conceal it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/baltasar-gracian/it-requires-as-much-to-tell-the-truth-as-to-conceal-it/) [Baltasar Gracian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/baltasar-gracian/) > [“…there’s nothing in this world that demands more caution than the truth. To tell the truth is like leeching one’s own heart...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/umberto-eco/there-s-nothing-in-this-world-that-demands-more-caution-than-the/) [Umberto Eco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/umberto-eco/) > [ \[D\]on't grow old. With age comes caution, which is another name for cowardice… Whatever else you do in life, don't cultivate a conscience. Without… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hesketh-pearson/d-on-t-grow-old-with-age-comes-caution-which-is-another-name-for/) [Hesketh Pearson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hesketh-pearson/) > [When I became successful, I put up a caution. I didn't think it was fair to have the shadow of that kind of success…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-redford/when-i-became-successful-i-put-up-a-caution-i-didn-t-think-it-was/) [Robert Redford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-redford/) > [There is one stark fact facing us: three quarters of all crime that results in a caution or sentence happens because of reoffending. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-gauke/there-is-one-stark-fact-facing-us-three-quarters-of-all-crime-that/) [David Gauke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-gauke/) > [The four cautions: Beware a woman in front of you, beware a horse behind of you, beware a cart beside of you, and beware…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-o-neill/the-four-cautions-beware-a-woman-in-front-of-you-beware-a-horse/) [Jamie O'Neill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-o-neill/) > [“Oh ... why not?' he smiled. "This valley is a pleasant spot for meditation. I like New England... it is here that I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/oh-why-not-he-smiled-this-valley-is-a-pleasant-spot-for-meditation-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Fear and caution are two different things. Be cautious - be conscious - but do not be fearful. Fear only paralyzes, while consciousness mobilizes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/fear-and-caution-are-two-different-things-be-cautious-be-conscious/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [ “\[U\]se extreme caution, and please remember that 451 degrees Fahrenheit is more than just a book a title…” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ammon-shea/u-se-extreme-caution-and-please-remember-that-451-degrees-fahrenheit/) [Ammon Shea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ammon-shea/) > [I often found myself in situations where I had, without thinking, said too much to too many with too little caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-corey-whaley/i-often-found-myself-in-situations-where-i-had-without-thinking-said/) [John Corey Whaley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-corey-whaley/) > [The future is inherently full of discontinuities, and lessons of the past must be applied with enormous caution.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/the-future-is-inherently-full-of-discontinuities-and-lessons-of-the/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [Every human being has, like Socrates, an attendant spirit; and wise are they who obey its signals. 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Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lydia-m-child/) > [“Love everyone but chose your friends with caution.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mensah-oteh/love-everyone-but-chose-your-friends-with-caution/) [Mensah Oteh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mensah-oteh/) [Browse all 640 Caution quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/caution/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and meditation are good; but then, they are only good at times and occasions, in a certain degree, and must be used and governed with such caution as we eat and drink and refresh ourselves, or they will bring forth in us the fruits of intemperance.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Law" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversation-and-meditation-are-good/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Caution" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversation-and-meditation-are-good/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ba0/william-law-8390_caution_reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversa_963127.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Reading is good, hearing is good, conversation and meditation are good; but then, they are only good at…” — William Law", "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": "William Law", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-law/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Reading is good, hearing is good,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversation-and-meditation-are-good/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-law/reading-is-good-hearing-is-good-conversation-and-meditation-are-good/#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 } } ] } ```