Word: shallower
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Dates: during 1870-1879
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...understood, we have attempts at profound, high-sounding expositions, whose object is to exhibit the learning of the author or utterer, rather than to teach the reader or hearer. Trite sayings, which might be found endurable when succinctly stated, are spun out into a labyrinth of empty phrases, and shallow ideas are harped upon through infinite paragraphs, to give them an importance which they do not deserve...
...talking, one evening, with a member of the present Senior class about the relative merits of Spencer and Mill. I said, "On the whole, I prefer Mill. The stream of Spencer's mind, though being so broad, is of necessity shallow; while on the points that Mill has touched you feel that completeness characteristic of a master mind." "No," he said, " I prefer Spencer. His philosophy is cosmic. You feel a completeness of a higher kind here than in Mill." "By the way," said I, "what books of Spencer have you read?" "Well," he said, "I can't exactly...
...here becomes necessary to summon this spirit from its vasty deep into such shallow water as the elements of logic, where he will learn that affirmative propositions do not distribute their predicates, and that the middle term of a syllogism should be used univocally. It is also necessary to remind him of the generally acknowledged fact, that a cause is not identical with its result. Indifference, a momentary consequence of liberal training, is not the cause of proper mental development, except so far as, in the sense of an unbiassed mind, it is a prerequisite of liberal thought...
...They seek only the pleasures of literature, and slight observation will convince us that they delight in these only when easily obtained. Where grow the more sober plants of history and biography their fancy seldom leads them. The rich stores of Macaulay and Prescott lie too deep for their shallow taste. The sole care of these literary butterflies is to draw pleasure from the writings of other; that they never add the smallest morsel to the food of the reading world grieves them not in the least; nor do they mourn that they have planted no flowers to brighten...
There is, to be sure, some danger that the knowledge thus obtained will be very shallow, but of course it depends on each man how regular and attentive he will be and how he will use his opportunities. However, we should think that, with due care, a great deal might be learned with very little trouble; and the courses in Greek and Latin, at any rate, will serve as an experiment to determine how far the student is capable of "comprehending the spirit" of a difficult language without the aid of careful study on his part and of elaborate comments...