Quotessence
Home / Quotes / Quote by Betty MacDonald

Quote by Betty MacDonald

“Far off down the road, through the lazily drifting snowflakes, they could hear the merry sound of sleigh bells. Their gay little tinkling flying ahead of the sleigh and lighting up the night with sparks.”

Quote by Betty MacDonald

Work

Nancy and Plum

Browse quotes and source details for this work. more

Author

Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald

Betty MacDonald was an American author known for her humorous and autobiographical works. Her writing often focused on family life and the role of mothers, with her most famous book being 'The Glass Castle'. Born on March 26, 1908, she passed away on February 7, 1958. more

You May Also Like

“Does any man have the right to dispose of his own life? This is the ultimate question of moral entitlement, and relevant only if right is relevant in this context, and it is not. A suicidal man cannot be concerned - and nor should he be - with questions of moral entitlement. (And how absurd.) His one concern should be whether self-execution will most expediently relieve his suffering.”

“Our education system is like a money plant, which looks beautiful with big green leaves, but fails to produce any fruit or a flower. Undoubtedly, we are a home to the best doctors, scientists, poets, artists, and whatnot. But I feel, we miserably fail to evoke humanism, compassion, and tolerance in students. If we would count all the do’s and don’ts taught to us in our school, surely don’ts would exceed the number of the do's. I was forced to mug up certain things I was not interested in. Now, I understand the importance of questioning. I wish if our schools could teach us the art of questioning instead of just hunting for answers. Various facts are stuffed in delicate minds, but what about teachings on life, tutoring to never give up, and asking for students’ opinions on a subject? Yes, teaching these things would not directly increase the ‘GDP’ by creating human-machines, but would definitely create better minds and wonderful souls. I really wish our syllabus could preach to us the sheer value of knowledge, wisdom, and awareness. I wish our schools could nurture educated intellectuals, rather than literate persons. I wish we could pay more heed to the education ratio instead of just literacy ratio. We need more thinkers and fewer money makers. We are directed towards a goal already chosen for us, but not asked about our big fantasies and little dreams.”

“A life of working dutifully to secure acquisitions tends to dull the intelligence and creativity of a human being. The ultimate goal of an ingenious person is to expand human consciousness by growing into his or her surroundings and realizing how their spiritual essence does not stand in isolation.”