“A man who attempts to debate when he cannot listen must make a wretched display of impotence.”

— George Long

An Old Man's Thoughts on Many Things, Of Education I

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George Long 66

English classical scholar 1800–1879

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An Old Man's Thoughts on Many Things, Of Education I
Context: Every man who observes, must have seen what bad listeners most people are. Inability to attend carefully to what is spoken is a great defect, which leads to blunders, misrepresentation, and sometimes to quarrels.

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“A man who attempts to debate when he cannot listen must make a wretched display of impotence.”

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George Long 66

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