Perhaps the prevalence of pedantry may be largely accounted for by the common error of thinking that, because useful knowledge should be remembered, any kind of knowledge that is at all worth learning should be remembered too. Albert J. Nock accountcommonerror share on social
Someone asked me years ago if it were true that I disliked Jews, and I replied that it was certainly true, not at all because they are Jews but because they are folks, and I don't like folks. Albert J. Nock agoaskdislike Change image and share on social
Learning has always been made much of, but forgetting has always been deprecated; therefore pedantry has pretty well established itself throughout the modern world at the expense of culture. Albert J. Nock culturedeprecateestablish Change image and share on social
Life has obliged him to remember so much useful knowledge that he has lost not only his history, but his whole original cargo of useless knowledge; history, languages, literatures, the higher mathematics, or what you will - are all gone. Albert J. Nock cargohighhistory share on social
I am said to be difficult of acquaintance, unwilling to meet any one half way, and showing a social manner which is easy, not diffident, but formal and unresponsive, tending constantly to hold people off. Albert J. Nock acquaintanceconstantlydifficult share on social
Considered now as a possession, one may define culture as the residuum of a large body of useless knowledge that has been well and truly forgotten. Albert J. Nock bodyconsiderculture Change image and share on social
The mind is like the stomach. It is not how much you put into it that counts, but how much it digests. Albert J. Nock countdigestmind Change image and share on social
Organized Christianity has always represented immortality as a sort of common heritage; but I never could see why spiritual life should not be conditioned on the same terms as all life, i. e., correspondence with environment. Albert J. Nock christianitycommoncondition share on social
The business of a scientific school is the dissemination of useful knowledge, and this is a noble enterprise and indispensable withal; society can not exist unless it goes on. Albert J. Nock businessdisseminationenterprise Change image and share on social
The university's business is the conservation of useless knowledge; and what the university itself apparently fails to see is that this enterprise is not only noble but indispensable as well, that society can not exist unless it goes on. Albert J. Nock apparentlybusinessconservation share on social
