A great man quotes bravely, and will not draw on his invention when his memory serves him with a word just as good.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Emerson suggests that confident individuals rely on their stored knowledge rather than fabricating answers when they know something.
- In plain terms
- Confident people use what they remember instead of making things up.
- What can you take from it?
- Trust your memory over invention when you know the answer.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- When do you feel tempted to make things up?
- How do you verify your memory?
Another view
Sometimes invention is necessary when memory fails completely.
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