On the record
A man made common by nature, and made worse by life, is not likely to have either; he is nearly sure not to be BOTH clever and industrious.
Said by
Walter Bagehot
Source
gutenberg.orgWalter Bagehot: “A man made common by nature, and made worse by life, is not likely to have either; he is nearly sure not to be BOTH…”
Editor's note · Context
Bagehot suggests that a common man, shaped negatively by life experiences, is unlikely to be both intelligent and industrious.
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More from Walter Bagehot
Political philosophy is still more imperfect; it has been framed from observations taken upon regular specimens of politics and States; as to these its teaching is most valuable.
At last it strikes you that they grew up, house by house, on the devious tracks of the old green lanes; and if you follow on to the existing fields, you may often find the change half complete.
It is natural that those who by special and admirable culture have come to look at all things upon the artistic side, should start back from these queer peculiarities.
Our law very often reminds one of those outskirts of cities where you cannot for a long time tell how the streets come to wind about in so capricious and serpent-like a manner.
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