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Story
December 8, 1859
The Highland Weekly News
Hillsborough, Hillsboro, Highland County, Ohio
What is this article about?
An advisory piece urging readers to focus their efforts on one purpose for true accomplishment, rather than spreading energies thinly across many pursuits, which leads to superficial knowledge and wasted time.
Clipping
OCR Quality
100%
Excellent
Full Text
Too Many Things At Once.
If you want to distinguish yourself, devote your mind to the accomplishment of some one purpose, and don't fritter away its energies upon the semi-acquisition of half a dozen. "A little learning is a dangerous thing" in all cases, for it always misleads. "Knives that contain ninety blades, four corkscrews and a boot-jack," said somebody, once, "are seldom brought into action. In attempting too much, they usually perfect nothing." Take a lesson from this fact. "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," and whatever is not worth our while to learn to do well, it is only time lost in endeavoring to do superficially. This is the true system of study, and if carefully carried out, will save many a pang of remorse over many a wasted moment.
If you want to distinguish yourself, devote your mind to the accomplishment of some one purpose, and don't fritter away its energies upon the semi-acquisition of half a dozen. "A little learning is a dangerous thing" in all cases, for it always misleads. "Knives that contain ninety blades, four corkscrews and a boot-jack," said somebody, once, "are seldom brought into action. In attempting too much, they usually perfect nothing." Take a lesson from this fact. "Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," and whatever is not worth our while to learn to do well, it is only time lost in endeavoring to do superficially. This is the true system of study, and if carefully carried out, will save many a pang of remorse over many a wasted moment.
What sub-type of article is it?
Moral Advice
Didactic Essay
What themes does it cover?
Moral Virtue
What keywords are associated?
Focus
Learning
Accomplishment
Moral Lesson
Self Improvement
Story Details
Story Details
Advice emphasizing focus on one purpose to achieve mastery, warning against superficial learning in multiple areas, illustrated with quotes on versatile knives and the value of doing things well.