I read You Learn by Living by Eleanor Roosevelt during Saturday’s Readathon. By the end, my copy was covered in circles and star marks, highlighting quotes and passages that especially resonated with me. Her advice isn’t particularly unique, but her eloquence in expressing her beliefs and her enthusiasm & energy towards living her best life are especially motivational. I think it’s a good idea to read books of wisdom by people you admire every now and then to help keep your values front and center in life.
It was hard to select just one passage from the dozens I noted in my copy, but I think this one is especially important. If you’re an adult with children in your life – your own, or others, it’s crucial to take their questions seriously, and to help them understand the world around them and remain curious. But the other reason I love this quote is that it’s a reminder to ourselves as well – when we are overwhelmed with information or life and turn inward – when we stop caring about the “why” in the world around us, stop asking questions, stop seeking information and answers, stop learning; we might as well begin to die. When we’re adults, we have to foster and cultivate our own sense of the adventure of life. The inverse of the book’s title is also true: we live by learning.
Blog main image: Eleanor Roosevelt by Boston Public Library (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
I love this quote! It is so true!
Thank you! I love it too – so many great quotes in that book. :)
This reminds me of a book I read recently called Curious, which was about why some people are curious as adults and others are not and a lot of it has to do with how questions are responded to when we are children. Also, this book sounds great!
I will add Curious to my TBR list – it sounds very interesting! Thank you for telling me about it. I think curiosity is an often-neglected component of success in life, it leads to great discoveries, and invaluable employees who can turn their thinking and research into good ideas.