See that the mind is honest, first; the rest may follow or not as God wills. [That] the fundamental treason to the mind ... is the one fundamental treason which the scholar's mind must not allow is the bond uniting all the Oxford people in the last resort.

Dorothy L. Sayers
About This Quote

When you are faced with a difficult situation, it is important that you look at the whole picture before you jump to conclusions. If you are too concerned with the trivial things in life, they may distract you from seeing the important things. Take an example of a person who might not always be honest. This person may be trustworthy in most things, but when faced with one problem he or she will become dishonest.

The scholar’s mind sees this as a betrayal of trust. Now this is not necessarily wrong, but jumping to conclusions about someone’s character is an error that will cause trouble.

Source: The Letters Of Dorothy L. Sayers. Vol. 1, 18991936: The Making Of A Detective Novelist

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