--- title: "I am not thinking of those shining precepts which are the registered … — John Acton Quote #23 | QuotesBy.net" description: "I am not thinking of those shining precepts which are the registered property of every school; that is to say - learn as much by writing as by readin… — a quote by John Acton." image: "https://quotesby.net/wp-content/themes/quotesby-editorial/assets/og-default.png" --- > # I am not thinking of those shining precepts which are the registered property of every school; that is to say - learn as much by writing as by reading; be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites; keep men and things apart; guard against the prestige of great names; see that your judgments are your own; and do not shrink from disagreement; no trusting without testing; be more severe to ideas than to actions; do not overlook the strength of the bad cause of the weakness of the good; never be surprised by the crumbling of an idol or the disclosure of a skeleton; judge talent at its best and character at its worst; suspect power more than vice, and study problems in preference to periods. [John Acton](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton)\#23[WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)](https://wa.me/?text=%E2%80%9CI%20am%20not%20thinking%20of%20those%20shining%20precepts%20which%20are%20the%20registered%20property%20of%20every%20school%3B%20that%20is%20to%20say%20-%20learn%20as%20much%20by%20writing%20as%20by%20reading%3B%20be%20not%20content%20with%20the%20best%20book%3B%20seek%20sidelights%20from%20the%20others%3B%20have%20no%20favourites%3B%20keep%20men%20and%20things%20apart%3B%20guard%20against%20the%20prestige%20of%20great%20names%3B%20see%20that%20your%20judgments%20are%20your%20own%3B%20and%20do%20not%20shrink%20from%20disagreement%3B%20no%20trusting%20without%20testing%3B%20be%20more%20severe%20to%20ideas%20than%20to%20actions%3B%20do%20not%20overlook%20the%20strength%20of%20the%20bad%20cause%20of%20the%20weakness%20of%20the%20good%3B%20never%20be%20surprised%20by%20the%20crumbling%20of%20an%20idol%20or%20the%20disclosure%20of%20a%20skeleton%3B%20judge%20talent%20at%20its%20best%20and%20character%20at%20its%20worst%3B%20suspect%20power%20more%20than%20vice%2C%20and%20study%20problems%20in%20preference%20to%20periods.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20John%20Acton%20https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F23%2F)[X (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=%E2%80%9CI%20am%20not%20thinking%20of%20those%20shining%20precepts%20which%20are%20the%20registered%20property%20of%20every%20school%3B%20that%20is%20to%20say%20-%20learn%20as%20much%20by%20writing%20as%20by%20reading%3B%20be%20not%20content%20with%20the%20best%20book%3B%20seek%20sidelights%20from%20the%20others%3B%20have%20no%20favourites%3B%20keep%20men%20and%20things%20apart%3B%20guard%20against%20the%20prestige%20of%20great%20names%3B%20see%20that%20your%20judgments%20are%20your%20own%3B%20and%20do%20not%20shrink%20from%20disagreement%3B%20no%20trusting%20without%20testing%3B%20be%20more%20severe%20to%20ideas%20than%20to%20actions%3B%20do%20not%20overlook%20the%20strength%20of%20the%20bad%20cause%20of%20the%20weakness%20of%20the%20good%3B%20never%20be%20surprised%20by%20the%20crumbling%20of%20an%20idol%20or%20the%20disclosure%20of%20a%20skeleton%3B%20judge%20talent%20at%20its%20best%20and%20character%20at%20its%20worst%3B%20suspect%20power%20more%20than%20vice%2C%20and%20study%20problems%20in%20preference%20to%20periods.%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20John%20Acton&url=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F23%2F)[Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fquotesby.net%2FJohn-Acton%2F23%2F) ## More from John Acton 1. > Machiavelli's teaching would hardly have stood the test of parliamentary government, for public discussion demands at least the profession of good faith. But i… [Permalink to quote \#22](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/22/ "Permalink to quote 22") 2. > Most of this, I suppose, is undisputed, and calls for no enlargement. But the weight of opinion is against me when I exhort you never to debase the moral curre… [Permalink to quote \#24](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/24/ "Permalink to quote 24") 3. > Writers the most learned, the most accurate in details, and the soundest in tendency, frequently fall into a habit which can neither be cured nor pardoned - th… [Permalink to quote \#21](https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/21/ "Permalink to quote 21") ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I am not thinking of those shining precepts which are the registered property of every school; that is to say - learn as much by writing as by reading; be not content with the best book; seek sidelights from the others; have no favourites; keep men and things apart; guard against the prestige of great names; see that your judgments are your own; and do not shrink from disagreement; no trusting without testing; be more severe to ideas than to actions; do not overlook the strength of the bad cause of the weakness of the good; never be surprised by the crumbling of an idol or the disclosure of a skeleton; judge talent at its best and character at its worst; suspect power more than vice, and study problems in preference to periods.", "url": "https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/23/", "spokenByCharacter": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Acton" } } { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://quotesby.net/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Authors", "item": "https://quotesby.net/authors/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "John Acton", "item": "https://quotesby.net/John-Acton" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Quote #23", "item": "https://quotesby.net/John-Acton/23/" } ] } ```