Clever Quote by William Makepeace Thackeray
“Let us people who are so uncommonly clever and learned have a great tenderness and pity for the poor folks who are not endowed with the prodigious talents which we have.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: “Vanity Fair”, 1848
The author calls for the intelligent and educated to feel compassion for those lacking their talents, urging empathy toward the less gifted.
In simple terms: Intelligent should feel compassion for the less gifted.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate empathy across abilities.
Themes
empathy
class
intelligence
social responsibility
Mood
compassionate
reflective
Type
literary
ethical
When to use this quote
- literary critique
- philosophical discourse
- education reform
Key Concepts
ethics
social hierarchy
human dignity
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance merit with compassion?
- What responsibilities do the gifted have toward others?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on talent can create elitism.
![“There was another reason [she] took her books whenever they went away. They were her home when she was somewhere strange. They were familiar voices, friends that never quarreled with her, clever, powerful friends -- daring and knowledgeable, tried and tested adventurers who had traveled far and…” quote by Cornelia Funke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/639/cornelia-funke-908_adventurer_there-was-another-reason-she-took-her-bo_3074.jpg)
