“Association with a learned one in the slums, is by far better than sitting with an ignorant person on sumptuous and luxurious carpets.”

“To me a lush carpet of pine needles or spongy grass is more welcome than the most luxurious Persian rug.”

Helen Keller (1880–1968) American author and political activist

“A learned fool is more foolish than an ignorant one.”

Molière Les Femmes Savantes

“O people! Your God is one and your forefather (Adam) is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red (i. e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a black person and a black person is not better than a red person, except in piety.”

Muhammad (570–632) Arabian religious leader and the founder of Islam

“Withdraw into yourself, as far as you can. Associate with those who will make a better man of you. Welcome those whom you yourself can improve. The process is mutual; for men learn while they teach.”
Recede in te ipse quantum potes; cum his versare qui te meliorem facturi sunt, illos admitte quos tu potes facere meliores. Mutuo ista fiunt, et homines dum docent discunt.

Seneca the Younger (-4–65 BC) Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, and dramatist

“One learns better than to hand one's choices to fear. With age, with every wound and scar, one learns.”

Lois McMaster Bujold (1949) Science Fiction and fantasy author from the USA

“A learned person among ignorant people, is like a live person among the dead.”

Ja'far al-Sadiq (702–765) Muslim religious person

“Always try to associate yourself with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you do, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969) American general and politician, 34th president of the United States (in office from 1953 to 1961)

“To treat a person like a carpet, it is necessary that one do the walking, and one allow himself to be walked on.
--Shin'a'in saying”

Mercedes Lackey book Owlflight

“One should hardly have to tell academicians that information is a valuable resource: knowledge is power. And yet this occupies a slum dwelling in the town of economics. Mostly it is ignored.”

George Stigler (1911–1991) American economist