As I ate she began the first of what we later called my lessons in living. She said that I must always be intolerant of ignorance but understanding of illiteracy. That some people, unable to go to school, were more educated and even more intelligent than college professors. She encouraged me to listen carefully to what country people called mother wit. That in those homely sayings was couched the collective wisdom of generations.
In this passage, Maya Angelou reflects on a lesson in life she received from a woman, likely her mother or a maternal figure, emphasizing the importance of understanding and respecting different forms of knowledge. She was taught to be intolerant of ignorance while remaining compassionate towards those who are illiterate, recognizing that education and intelligence are not always measured by formal schooling.
"As I ate she began the first of what...
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