Keyboard worrier

Thursday, November 07, 2013

Chekhov on teaching

How can we undertake to bring up the young? In old days people were simpler and thought less, and so settled problems boldly. But we think too much, we are eaten up by logic. 

The more developed a man is, the more he reflects and gives himself up to subtleties, the more undecided and scrupulous he becomes, and the more timidity he shows in taking action. How much courage and self-confidence it needs, when one comes to look into it closely, to undertake to teach, to judge, to write a thick book.

Anton Chekhov – Home (short story published in 1887)

All original material is copyright of its author. Fair use permitted. Contact via comment. Unless indicated otherwise, all internet links accessed at time of writing. Nothing here should be taken as personal advice, financial or otherwise. No liability is accepted for third-party content, whether incorporated in or linked to this blog; or for unintentional error and inaccuracy. The blog author may have, or intend to change, a personal position in any stock or other kind of investment mentioned.

4 comments:

Paddington said...

Who thinks too much? I see very little of that in daily life.

A K Haart said...

Paddington - that's because thinking isn't often the best way to get on in life.

Sackerson said...

This may have been written when confined to house by deep snows. Is reflection thinking, or the cerebral equivalent of the hamster's wheel?

A K Haart said...

Sackers - for me, the quality of reflection depends on the time of day. In the early morning it's quite good, but in the evening it's back to the the hamster's wheel.