The Person Who Reads Too Much And Uses His Brain

Reading, after a certain age, diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

Somebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else.

It is not enough to have a good mind; the main thing is to use it well.

In order to improve the mind, we ought less to learn than to contemplate.

Don't just say you have read books. Show that through them you have learned to think better.

If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid.