"Folks who have lived the cornered sort of life most scholars, teachers, and storekeepers live seldom realize what they've missed in the way of conversation. Some of the best talk and the wisest talk I've ever heard was around campfires, in saloons, bunkhouses, and the like. The idea that all the knowledge of the world is bound up in schools and schoolteachers is a mistaken one." (from Ride the Dark Trail, by Louis L'Amour)
This opinion is expressed by a character in a book of fiction, so we don't know whether or not it was the opinion of the author. However, I suspect that it was, since similar thoughts are expressed in other books of his. His point is well taken - up to a point. All useful knowledge is not to be found solely among academics, who frequently know little of life: that much certainly is true. However, wisdom would dictate that one should be careful as to where he looks for wisdom. Those who are engaged in unwise or immoral activities should not be considered founts of wisdom, and L'Amour seems to overlook that qualification.
L'Amour does make one very profound point, however, that much wisdom is communicated through conversation, and just because a person is not well-versed in a formal academic education does not mean that he has not imbibed much that is true. After all, mankind knew how to think before they knew how to read.
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