“The best books… are those that tell you what you know already.”

— George Orwell, book 1984

Source: 1984

Last update Feb. 11, 2026. History

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George Orwell473

English author and journalist 1903–1950

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“It's wonderful to be able to read a newspaper that tells you what's going to happen--not just what's already happened. Anybody can tell you what's already happened, but the Bible tells you what's going to happen. Newspapers are not really newspapers; they're history papers. They tell you what's already happened--past news. But God has given us a lot of later news about today, the time in which we're living right now, and what's going to happen next. So the Bible is not just a history book, it's a news book. It not only tells you about yesterday, it also tells you about tomorrow.”

David Berg (1919–1994) Children of God founder

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“The best teachers are those who show you where to look, but don't tell you what to see.”

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“I tell you what's really ridiculous--going into a bookstore and there's all these books about yourself. In a way, it feels like you're already dead.”

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“Learning is not by going to school, books is not by reading; but knowing what you went their for and understanding what you've read in those books.”

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“Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.”

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“A friend tells you what you want to hear; a best friend tells you the truth.”

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“All nonsense. Nobody knows the real Göring. I am a man of many parts, but the autobiography, what does that tell you? Nothing. And those books put out by the party press, they are less than useless.”

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“Divination is a means of telling ourselves what we already know.”

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