“As far as the education of children is concerned, I think they should be taught not the little virtues but the great ones. Not thrift but generosity and an indifference to money; not caution but courage and a contempt for danger; not shrewdness but frankness and a love of truth; not tact but a love of ones neighbor and self-denial; not a desire for success but a desire to be and to know.”
2 thoughts on “The Little Virtues, by Natalia Ginzburg”
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How do you do this, Caterina? Once again it seems like you’re sitting in on the late night conversations at our house. Just last night we were wrestling with the general messiness of our daughter’s education, social expectations, and personal growth. This passage is wonderful, thought-provoking, and makes me want more. It’s a powerful contrast to (what I sense to be) the dominant value set in our village.
Thanks! Again. (How do you do this????)
ps- for more information on the author:
http://www.bookslut.com/features/2013_09_020268.php
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Ha, some kind of internet telepathy at work. And thanks for sending that link about her work. I’ve ordered the other book too!
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