4 ms·
I saw a Sherlock Holmes quote on here once, I liked it and I think it's relevant to your comment so I'll post it here. "You see," he explained, "I consider tha
by curious_fella1 8y ago
I saw a Sherlock Holmes quote on here once, I liked it and I think it's relevant to your comment so I'll post it here.
"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it. Now the skilful workman is very careful indeed as to what he takes into his brain-attic. He will have nothing but the tools which may help him in doing his work, but of these he has a large assortment, and all in the most perfect order. It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Depend upon it there comes a time when for every addition of knowledge you forget something that you knew before. It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."
- B1FF_PSUVM 8y agoElsewhere Conan Doyle had Holmes explain that he did not know, or care, whether the Sun circled the Earth or vice-versa, because that fact was irrelevant for his activity.
- dwd 8y agoExcellent quote, thanks
- jodrellblank 8y agoWhile it is "arguing from fictional evidence", there's something here about why "personal growth" annoys me. You'll find no end of people talking about things they do for their personal growth - an ongoing, endless growth. Exactly as if they have elastic walls and eidetic memories. (and no particular goal to grow towards, so they know when to stop, but that's another topic)