Latin Quotes Worth Knowing: Nihil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo philosophorum.

Nihil tam absurde dici potest quod non dicatur ab aliquo philosophorum.

There is nothing so absurd that it has not been said by some philosopher.

Cicero, De Divinatione 2.58

The grammar literally is, "Nothing can be said so absurdly which is not said by someone of the philosophers."

Gutta Cavat Lapidem - A Drop Hollows out a Stone

Our beloved Ovid gives us the Latin original of the quote "Gutta Cavat Lapidem" - "A Drop (of Water) Hollows out a Stone." (Epistulae Ex Ponto 4.10.5)

Medieval commentators supplied the reason for this fact, "Non Vi Sed Saepe Cadendo" - "Not by Force, but by Falling Often."

The word for "drop" (Gutta) did surprisingly well in the Romance languages:




Gota - Spanish
Goccia - Italian
Goutte - French 

The ordinarily conservative Romanian dropped the ball:

Picătură - Romanian

The quote is inspirational. Persistence will eventually win the day.

Also worth noting in this vein:

Assiduus usus, uni rei deditus, et ingenium et artem saepe vincit.
Constant practice, given to one thing, often conquers both genius and art.
(Cicero Pro Balbo 45) 

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If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.


You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

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Persistence and Practice: the Keys to Success

I'm going to admit that I'm a bit annoyed when people find out I'm a polyglot and sometimes say, "You must have a gift for languages!" 

It annoys me because I know that every language I speak (except my native English) came from thousands of hours writing out and studying vocabulary cards, memorizing dialogues, and practicing with natives every chance I got. 

If I had a "gift" for languages, I wouldn't have needed to study a card twenty times before I finally could use that word in a conversation effectively!

But I eventually learned those words because I put in those long hours of study.

What I have a "gift" for is persistence and patience in practicing those things I want to master.

The ancients knew what we even today express through the saying "Practice Makes Perfect."

But while it is true that "Practice Makes Perfect," the key to success is making sure that the practice we do is regular and persistent.

One of the clearest ancient statements of this concept comes

from Cicero (Pro Balbo 45):

Assiduus usus uni rei deditus et ingenium et artem saepe vincit.
Constant practice given to one matter often conquers both genius and art.

In other words, there probably are people with an "ingenium" for languages. I wish I were one of them! But the person who studies hard and long to learn a language could easily surpass such a talent, if that talented person does nothing with it.

Ovid expresses the same concept when he writes (Pontica 4.10.5)

Gutta cavat lapidem.
The drop (of water) excavates the stone.

One drop of water seems to do nothing when it falls on a rock. But we've all seen holes in stone carved out by drops in the million. Again, I can't personally learn a word the first time I see or hear it. And that's why I keep seeing and hearing it until I finally know it well.

As a Latin proverb also points out:

Mater studiorum repetitio est.
Repetition is the mother of learning.

And it has been my experience that effective repetition doesn't have to mean necessarily studying or practicing a skill for dozens of hours in a row. Regular practice for even a short period of time can be more helpful than sporadic attention for lengthy periods of time. 

This fact is well described by the Greek painter Apeles (quoted by Pliny, Natural History 35.36):

Nulla dies sine linea.
No day without a line.

He's saying that, as an artist, even drawing one line on a picture each day is better than nothing, and crucial to long-term growth in whatever skill or talent you wish to achieve.

There are some nice modern statements of this ancient wisdom regarding regular practice and persistence. Note, for instance, a quote attributed to Bruce Lee:

"I fear not the man who has practiced ten thousand kicks once. I fear the man who has practiced one kick ten thousand times."

Another painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds, wrote (Discourses, ii):

If you have great talents, industry will improve them; if you have but moderate abilities, industry will supply their deficiency.

Similarly, the French scientist Georges Louis Buffon:

Le génie n’est autre chose qu’une grand aptitude à la patience.
Genius is nothing else than a great aptitude for patience.

So whatever we want, be it a new talent or to speak a new language, persistent practice promises us success. 

Be patient, be persistent. Practice, practice, practice...  Make it so.

Good luck, and God bless...

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If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

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While I breathe, I hope - Dum Spiro, Spero

By Keith Massey, PhD.  Connect with me on Google+ and Twitter. Explore my novels at Lingua Sacra Publishing.
 

A classic quote attributed to Cicero.

Dum spiro, spero. While I breathe, I hope. This is the essence of optimism.

I've designed a line of t-shirts and other products with Latin enthusiasts in mind. 

Dum spiro spero tshirts by keithmassey
Look at Latin T-Shirts online at Zazzle.com

You can change the gender, size, color, and style of this product on the Zazzle site. Enjoy!

________________________________________________________________

If you're interested in Latin or ancient history, or even just an entertaining read, check out the time-travel thriller In Saecula Saeculorum. Click to learn more.

It's a bargain at 0.99 cents on Kindle (or affordably priced at $11.90 on paperback). 

You'll travel back to ancient Rome on a harrowing mission to save the modern world. It's the adventure of four lifetimes.

________________________________________________________________

Latin T-Shirts For Sale!

I've designed a wide variety of Latin-themed t-shirts. Just click on the images of these products and you can tailor them to your sizes and put them on different garments, coffee cups, and other assorted items!

Here's a very popular item, "I am a Latin Lover"

  

I also have a number of shirts sporting famous quotes from Latin Literature

Visit my author page at Lingua Sacra Publishing. You'll find everything from espionage thrillers, young adult adventure, and ways to learn new languages.