Benjamin Jowett, "Recollections of Professor Smith I. by Professor Jowett"
“
He could see through the vanity and folly of a friend, and yet retain a never changing affection for him. Of his own life, he seldom or never spoke; he was not an egotist, and his own sayings or doings did not seem to interest him afterwards.
— Benjamin Jowett
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "He could see through the vanity and folly of a friend, and yet retain a never changing affection for him. Of his own life, he seldom or never spoke; he was not an egotist, and his own sayings or doings did not seem to interest him afterwards." in the context of "Benjamin Jowett, "Recollections of Professor Smith I. by Professor Jowett"" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Henry John Stephen Smith" (Quotes about Smith, Biographical Sketches and Recollections (with Early Letters) (1894): of Henry John Stephen Smith M.A., F.R.S., Late Savilian Professor of Geometry in the University of Oxford. source)
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 Henry John Stephen Smith
Henry John Stephen Smith (2 November 1826 – 9 February 1883) was a mathematician remembered for his work in elementary divisors, quadratic forms, matrix theory, and number theory.
About Henry John Stephen Smith
Henry John Stephen Smith (2 November 1826 – 9 February 1883) was a mathematician remembered for his work in elementary divisors, quadratic forms, matrix theory, and number theory.
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