要把一个落后的农业的中国改变成为一个先进的工业化的中国，我们面前的工作是很艰苦的，我们的经验是很不够的。因此，必须善于学习。
——《中国共产党第八次全国代表大会开幕词》（一九五六年九月十五日），《中国共产党第八次全国代表大会文献》第九页
In transforming a backward agricultural China into an advanced industrialized country, we are confronted with arduous tasks and our experience is far from adequate. So we must be good at learning.
— "Opening Address at the Eighth National Congress of the Communist Party of China" (September 15, 1956).

情况是在不断地变化，要使自己的思想适应新的情况，就得学习。即使是对于马克思主义已经了解得比较多的人，无产阶级立场比较坚定的人，也还是要再学习，要接受新事物，要研究新问题。
——《在中国共产党全国宣传工作会议上的讲话》（一九五七年三月十二日），人民出版社版第七页
Conditions are changing all the time, and to adapt one's thinking to the new conditions, one must study. Even those who have a better grasp of Marxism and are comparatively firm in their proletarian stand have to go on studying, have to absorb what is new and study new problems.
— "Speech at the Chinese Communist Party's National Conference on Propaganda Work" (March 12, 1957), 1st pocket ed., p. 8.*

我们能够学会我们原来不懂的东西。我们不但善于破坏一个旧世界，我们还将善于建设一个新世界。
——《在中国共产党第七届中央委员会第二次全体会议上的报告》（一九四九年三月五日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四四零页
We can learn what we did not know. We are not only good at destroying the old world, we are also good at building the new.
— "Report to the Second Plenary Session of the Seventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China" (March 5, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 374.

学习有两种态度。一种是教条主义的态度，不管我国情况，适用的和不适用的，一起搬来。这种态度不好。另一种态度，学习的时候用脑筋想一下，学那些和我国情况相适合的东西，即吸取对我们有益的经验，我们需要的是这样一种态度。
——《关于正确处理人民内部矛盾的问题》（一九五七年二月二十七日），人民出版社版第三八页
Now, there are two different attitudes towards learning from others. One is the dogmatic attitude of transplanting everything, whether or not it is suited to our conditions. This is no good. The other attitude is to use our heads and learn those things which suit our conditions, that is, to absorb whatever experience is useful to us. That is the attitude we should adopt.
— "On the Correct Handling of Contradictions Among the People" (February 27, 1957), 1st pocket ed., p. 75.

马克思、恩格斯、列宁、斯大林的理论，是“放之四海而皆准”的理论。不应当把他们的理论当作教条看待，而应当看作行动的指南。不应当只是学习马克思列宁主义的词句，而应当把它当成革命的科学来学习。不但应当了解马克思、恩格斯、列宁、斯大林他们研究广泛的真实生活和革命经验所得出的关于一般规律的结论，而且应当学习他们观察问题和解决问题的立场和方法。
——《中国共产党在民族战争中的地位》（一九三八年十月），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第五二一页
The theory of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin is universally applicable. We should regard it not as a dogma, but as a guide to action. Studying it is not merely a matter of learning terms and phrases but of learning Marxism-Leninism as the science of revolution. It is not just a matter of understanding the general laws derived by Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin from their extensive study of real life and revolutionary experience, but of studying their standpoint and method in examining and solving problems.
— "The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War" (October 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, pp. 208-09.

如果有了正确的理论，只是把它空谈一阵，束之高阁，并不实行，那末，这种理论再好也是没有意义的。
——《实践论》（一九三七年七月）《毛泽东选集》第一卷第二八一页
If we have a correct theory but merely prate about it, pigeonhole it and do not put it into practice, then that theory, however good, is of no significance.
— "On Practice" (July 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 304.

对于马克思主义的理论，要能够精通它、应用它，精通的目的全在于应用。如果你能应用马克思列宁主义的观点，说明一个两个实际问题，那就要受到称赞，就算有了几分成绩。被你说明的东西越多，越普遍，越深刻，你的成绩就越大。
——《整顿党的作风》（一九四二年二月一日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第八一七页
It is necessary to master Marxist theory and apply it, master it for the sole purpose of applying it. If you can apply the Marxist-Leninist viewpoint in elucidating one or two practical problems, you should be commended and credited with some achievement. The more problems you elucidate and the more comprehensively and profoundly you do so, the greater will be your achievement.
— "Rectify the Party's Style of Work" (February 1, 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 38.

马克思列宁主义理论和中国革命实际，怎样互相联系呢？拿一句通俗的话来讲，就是“有的放矢”。“矢”就是箭，“的”就是靶，放箭要对准靶。马克思列宁主义和中国革命的关系，就是箭和靶的关系。有些同志却在那里“无的放矢”，乱放一通，这样的人就容易把革命弄坏。
——《整顿党的作风》（一九四二年二月一日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第八二一页
How is Marxist-Leninist theory to be linked with the practice of the Chinese revolution? To use a common expression, it is by "shooting the arrow at the target". As the arrow is to the target, so is Marxism-Leninism to the Chinese revolution. Some comrades, however, are "shooting without a target", shooting at random, and such people are liable to harm the revolution.
— Ibid., p. 42.

有工作经验的人，要向理论方面学习，要认真读书，然后才可以使经验带上条理性、综合性，上升成为理论，然后才可以不把局部经验误认为即是普遍真理，才可不犯经验主义的错误。
——《整顿党的作风》（一九四二年二月一日），《毛泽东选集》第三卷第八二零页
Those experienced in work must take up the study of theory and must read seriously; only then will they be able to systematize and synthesize their experience and raise it to the level of theory, only then will they not mistake their partial experience for universal truth and not commit empiricist errors.
— Ibid.

读书是学习，使用也是学习，而且是更重要的学习。从战争学习战争——这是我们的主要方法。没有进学校机会的人仍然可以学习战争，就是从战争中学习。革命战争是民众的事，常常不是先学好了再干，而是干起来再学习，干就是学习。
——《中国革命战争的战略问题》（一九三六年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第一七四页
Reading is learning, but applying is also learning and the more important kind of learning at that. Our chief method is to learn warfare through warfare. A person who has had no opportunity to go to school can also learn warfare - he can learn through fighting in war. A revolutionary war is a mass undertaking; it is often not a matter of first learning and then doing, but of doing and then learning, for doing is itself learning.
— "Problems of Strategy in China's Revolutionary War" (December 1936), Selected Works, Vol. I, pp. 189-90.

从“老百姓”到军人之间有一个距离，但不是万里长城，而是可以迅速地消灭的，干革命，干战争，就是消灭这个距离的方法。说学习和使用不容易，是说学得彻底，用得纯熟不容易。说老百姓很快可以变成军人，是说此门并不难入。把二者总合起来，用得着中国一句老话：“世上无难事，只怕有心人。”入门既不难，深造也是办得到的，只要有心，只要善于学习罢了。
——《中国革命战争的战略问题》（一九三六年十二月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第一七四——一七五页
There is a gap between the ordinary civilian and the soldier, but it is no Great Wall, and it can be quickly closed, and the way to close it is to take part in revolution, in war. By saying that it is not easy to learn and to apply, we mean that it is hard to learn thoroughly and to apply skillfully. By saying that civilians can very quickly become soldiers, we mean that it is not difficult to cross the threshold. To put the two statements together, we may cite the Chinese adage, "Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it." To cross the threshold is not difficult, and mastery, too, is possible provided one sets one's mind to the task and is good at learning.
— Ibid., p. 190.

我们必须向一切内行的人们（不管什么人）学经济工作。拜他们做老师，恭恭敬敬地学，老老实实地学。不懂就是不懂，不要装懂。
——《论人民民主专政》（一九四九年六月三十日），《毛泽东选集》第四卷第一四八五页
We must learn to do economic work from all who know how, no matter who they are. We must esteem them as teachers, learning from them respectfully and conscientiously. We must not pretend to know when we do not know.
— "On the People's Democratic Dictatorship" (June 30, 1949), Selected Works, Vol. IV, p. 423.

知识的问题是一个科学问题，来不得半点的虚伪和骄傲，决定地需要的倒是其反面——诚实和谦逊的态度。
——《实践论》（一九三七年七月），《毛泽东选集》第一卷第二七六页
Knowledge is a matter of science, and no dishonesty or conceit whatsoever is permissible. What is required is definitely the reverse - honesty and modesty.
— "On Practice" (July 1937), Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 300.

学习的敌人是自己的满足，要认真学习一点东西，必须从不自满开始。对自己，“学而不厌”，对人家，“诲人不倦”，我们应取这种态度。
——《中国共产党在民族战争中的地位》（一九三八年十月），《毛泽东选集》第二卷第五二三页
Complacency is the enemy of study. We cannot really learn anything until we rid ourselves of complacency. Our attitude towards ourselves should be "to be insatiable in learning" and towards others "to be tireless in teaching".
— "The Role of the Chinese Communist Party in the National War" (October 1938), Selected Works, Vol. II, p. 210.

有些人读了一些马克思主义的书，自以为有学问了，但是并没有读进去，并没有在头脑里生根，不会应用，阶级感情还是旧的。还有一些人很骄傲，读了几句书，自以为了不起，尾巴翘到天上去了，可是一遇风浪，他们的立场，比起工人和大多数劳动农民来，就显得大不相同。前者动摇，后者坚定，前者暧昧，后者明朗。
——《在中国共产党全国宣传工作会议上的讲话》（一九五七年三月十二日），人民出版社版第六页
Some people have read a few Marxist books and think themselves quite learned but what they have read has not penetrated, has not struck root in their minds, so that they do not know how to use it and their class feelings remain as of old. Others are very conceited and having learned some book-phrases, think themselves terrific and are very cocky; but whenever a storm blows up, they take a stand very different from that of the workers and the majority of the peasants. They waver while the latter stand firm, they equivocate while the latter are forthright.
— "Speech at the Chinese Communist Party's National Conference on Propaganda Work" (March 12, 1957), 1st pocket ed., pp. 7-8.

学习马克思主义，不但要从书本上学，主要地还要通过阶级斗争、工作实践和接近工农群众，才能真正学到。如果我们的知识分子读了一些马克思主义的书，又在同工农群众的接近中，在自己的工作实践中有所了解，那末，我们大家就有了共同的语言，不仅有爱国主义方面的共同语言、社会主义制度方面的共同语言，而且还可以有共产主义世界观方面的共同语言。如果这样，大家的工作就一定会做得好得多。
——《在中国共产党全国宣传工作会议上的讲话》（一九五七年三月十二日），人民出版社版第九——一零页
In order to have a real grasp of Marxism, one must learn it not only from books, but mainly through class struggle, through practical work and close contact with the masses of workers and peasants. When in addition to reading some Marxist books our intellectuals have gained some understanding through close contact with the masses of workers and peasants and through their own practical work, we will all be speaking the same language, not only the common language of patriotism and the common language of the socialist system, but probably even the common language of the communist world outlook. If that happens, all of us will certainly work much better.
— Ibid., p. 12.