"L'esprit une fois éclairé ne peut plus redevenir sombre"
— Thomas Paine
Simplified Meaning:
Once a person gains knowledge or understanding, they cannot go back to being unaware. It's like learning how to read; once you know how to read, you can't pretend you don't anymore. Imagine you learn that the earth orbits the sun; you can't go back to thinking the earth is the center of everything. This change in understanding affects how you see the world forever. Let's think about it in terms of personal growth. If someone learns to be more kind and considerate, that awareness changes how they treat others. They can't just forget and go back to being mean or selfish as if they never learned to be kind. This way, gaining new insights or wisdom pushes you forward, making it impossible to return to old ways of thinking. It encourages people to keep learning and growing because each new piece of knowledge sticks with them.
