The Tricks of Imagination, p. 186.
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A large proportion of human beings live not so much in themselves as in what they desire to be. They create what is called an ideal character, in an ideal form, whose perfections compensate in some degree for the imperfections of their own.
— Edwin Percy Whipple
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "A large proportion of human beings live not so much in themselves as in what they desire to be. They create what is called an ideal character, in an ideal form, whose perfections compensate in some degree for the imperfections of their own." in the context of "The Tricks of Imagination, p. 186." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Edwin Percy Whipple" (Quotes, Success and Its Conditions (1871): Success and Its Conditions (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1871))
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Edwin Percy Whipple
Edwin Percy Whipple (March 8, 1819 – June 16, 1886) was a literary critic and essayist from Massachusetts.
About Edwin Percy Whipple
Edwin Percy Whipple (March 8, 1819 – June 16, 1886) was a literary critic and essayist from Massachusetts.
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