What is true by lamplight is not always true by sunlight.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Ideals may seem true in a controlled setting but fail under real conditions.
- In plain terms
- What works in theory may not work in reality.
- What can you take from it?
- Test ideas in real conditions, not just in theory.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Does your plan work in sunlight?
- Are you seeing clearly or by lamplight?
Another view
Some truths remain constant regardless of context.
More from Joseph Joubert
What can you possibly add to a mind that's full, especially one that's full of itself.
Permalink to quote #93 When a nation gives birth to a man who is able to produce a great thought, another is born who is able to understand and admire it.
Permalink to quote #95 We shall always keep a spare corner in our heads to give passing hospitality to our friends' opinion.
Permalink to quote #92
Related quotes
The truth is not simply what you think it is; it is also the circumstances in which it is said, and to whom, why, and how it is said.
Vaclav HavelVaclav Havel quote #34 It always amuses me that the biggest praise for my work comes for the imagination, while the truth is that there's not a single line in all my work that does n…
Gabriel Garcia MarquezGabriel Garcia Marquez quote #1 Facts are stubborn things.
Tobias SmollettTobias Smollett quote #1