Mortimer Adler Quotes

“In the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you.”

“Love consists in giving without getting in return; in giving what is not owed, what is not due the other. That’s why true love is never based, as associations for utility or pleasure are, on a fair exchange.”

“Not to engage in the pursuit of ideas is to live like ants instead of like men.”

“The ability to retain a child’s view of the world with at the same time a mature understanding of what it means to retain it, is extremely rare – and a person who has these qualities is likely to be able to contribute something really important to our thinking.”

“The complexities of adult life get in the way of the truth.”

“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.”

“Think how different human societies would be if they were based on love rather than justice. But no such societies have ever existed on earth.”

“To agree without understanding is inane. To disagree without understanding is impudent.”

“True freedom is impossible without a mind made free by discipline.”

“Unless we love and are loved, each of us is alone, each of us is deeply lonely.”

“Wonder is the beginning of wisdom in learning from books as well as from nature.”