i always thought education was learning to think for yourself

Dead Poets Society

By peter weir, dead poets society quotes and analysis.

But if you listen real close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Go on, lean in. Listen. You hear it?... Carpe... Hear it?... Carpe. Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary. John Keating

This quote demonstrators that Keating appreciates the history and legacy of Welton as much as his fellow faculty members, but that rather than let it intimidate his students, he uses it to inspire them. His view appears to be that the boys should follow in the footsteps of those who came before them not because tradition is the best course of action, but because they are all members of the human race, and the passion and excitement for life that they all share is what makes them special.

We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. John Keating

One of the movie’s most famous quotes, Keating here acknowledges that many of his students may not care about his preaching about the humanities. After all, Welton prides itself on its ability to churn out doctors, lawyers, and other well-respected professionals. Intuitively, many of its current students are on the path to these careers and so don’t need art and poetry to succeed. Keating therefore reminds the students of why they’re doing what they’re doing, and working as hard as they are. He introduces the radical notion that they’re prestigious and impressive future careers may not actually be the end goal of their lives, but rather the means to living as full a life as possible.

This is a battle, a war, and the casualties could be your hearts and souls. John Keating

A somber moment of foreshadowing, Keating unknowingly references the eventual loss of Neil’s life in this quote. While his words “battle” and “war” refer to many things, they draw a parallel to the fight that many of the boys have with the conservative authority that dominates their life at Walton. Their hunger to break free from this authority becomes a battle in its own right, one that ultimately costs Neil his life and breaks his friends’ hearts.

McAllister: "Show me the heart unfettered by foolish dreams and I'll show you a happy man." John Keating: "But only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'Twas always thus, and always thus will be." McAllister: Tennyson? John Keating: No, Keating. McAllister and Keating

Keating is undoubtedly different from his fellow teachers in many ways, and this exchange between him and Mr. McAllister illustrates an example of how. While McAllister feels that the Welton boys need structure set out for them, whereas dreams may “fetter” their hearts, Keating argues that they should use their dreams to be free, and does so with an original quote, whereas McAllister’s was borrowed from Lord Alfred Tennyson. Not only does the content of his response demonstrate his alternate views of how the boys should be educated, but the nature of the quote itself does as well.

For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I'm gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem! Neil Perry

Neil’s enthusiasm at the prospect of becoming an actor demonstrates both the passion brimming within him and the influence of Mr. Keating to bring it to the surface. This is especially true with his exclamation of “Carpe Diem,” a direct reference to Keating’s teachings. The tragic irony here, of course, is that Neil is ultimately unable to do what he wants as a result of his father’s strict hold over him.

I'm exercising the right not to walk. Charlie Dalton

Ever the rebel, Charlie demonstrates at many points throughout the film how quick he is to get on board with Mr. Keating’s unorthodox teaching methods. Even before the two meet, Charlie establishes himself as the slacker when the boys discuss their academic prowess in Neil and Todd’s room on move-in day. The above quote is not only consistent with his slacker character, but also demonstrates his understanding of Keating’s lesson in choosing to have his own style of walking be one of stillness.

Now we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique, your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, even though the herd may go, 'that's baaaaad.' John Keating

This quote nicely sums up what Keating hopes for the boys: that they’ll become individual free thinkers. It’s the lesson that he believes in perhaps most strongly, but also the most dangerous one in the long run, as it’s the one that causes the most friction with Welton’s strict adherence to uniformity and tradition.

Neil Perry: So what are you going to do? Charlie? Charlie Dalton: Dammit, Neil, the name is Nuwanda. Neil Perry and Charlie Dalton

Charlie’s interrogation by Headmaster Nolan is a crucial turning point in the film because it’s the first time the boys’ newfound hunger to be free thinkers and poets rubs up against the administration’s strict ideologies about conformity and tradition. Here, when Charlie corrects Neil, he indicates that not even a beating from the headmaster could change the fact that he 1. is loyal to his fellow poets, and 2. wishes to keep the name that the Society inspired him to don. It’s a testament to the unity and passion that the group inspires in him.

There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for. John Keating

Keating’s talk with Charlie and the other boys after the telephone stunt in the sanctuary demonstrates where he draws the line between teacher and preacher. While he establishes himself as an unorthodox faculty member, he is still an authority figure in the boys' lives and wants them to see their education through to graduation, not get expelled following his teachings. Emphasizing this shows that he considers himself their teacher first, before anything else.

John Keating: I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself. Mr. Nolan: At these boys' age? Not on your life! John Keating and Headmaster Nolan

This exchange between Nolan and Keating is one of several instances where Keating’s unusual methods begin to get him in hot water. Nolan personifies everything Welton stands for: tradition, discipline, and rules that stand the test of time. Keating, on the other hand, while respecting these beliefs, thinks differently, and it’s this alternative thinking that seems to create such conflict between himself and his peers as well as the boys and the administration.

Dead Poets Society Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Dead Poets Society is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What’s the theme of dead poets society rip it out

Do you mean the scene where Keeting asks his class to rip out the Pritchard text? He wants them to avoid conformity by ripping a text that treats poetry like a math equation.

Explore Keating's influence on his students and how his encouragement of originality and "carpe diem" affect them.

I can't write your essay for you but can make a general comment. One of Keating’s main, overarching lessons for the boys is the idea of “seizing the day”—that is, making the most of the time they have now and taking advantage of the opportunities...

According to Pitts, all of the girls go for “jerks”. Do you agree with his assessment? Why or why not?

Well, this is a pretty subjective answer from personal experience. Many many years ago I was captain of the chess team in high school. Lets just say girls were not clamouring to wear my jacket. The hockey players,they used to throw pucks at our...

Study Guide for Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society study guide contains a biography of director Peter Weir, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Dead Poets Society
• Dead Poets Society Summary
• Character List
• Director's Influence

Essays for Dead Poets Society

Dead Poets Society literature essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of the film Dead Poets Society directed by Peter Weir.

• Authority Against Individualism: Dead Poets Society and The Rabbits
• Dead Poets Society: The Powerful Thought of Individuality
• Identity in Dead Poets Society and Frost's Poetry
• Exploring Transitions: Educating Rita and Dead Poets Society

Wikipedia Entries for Dead Poets Society

• Introduction

• ABBREVIATIONS
• BIOGRAPHIES
• CALCULATORS
• CONVERSIONS
• DEFINITIONS

Dead Poets Society 1989

John Keating: I thought the purpose of education was to learn to think for yourself.

Nolan: At these boys age? Not on your life!

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16 Extraordinary Robin Williams Quotes: Stop Taking Life Too Seriously

Robin Williams was a legendary stand-up comedian and actor and is best known for his roles in movies like Dead Poets Society and Good Will Hunting. Williams struggled with depression all his life and it was perhaps this sadness that inspired him to make other people laugh. While his life is a reminder that you must take care of your inner self and happiness first, he also brought great joy and wisdom to this world and that will never be forgotten.

Here are the most inspiring Robin Williams quotes that’ll inspire you to take life less seriously.

1. You’re only given a little spark of madness. You mustn’t lose it.

It is easy to be negative in this world. But few people realize that being light-hearted and childlike is not just a choice, but necessary to a healthy life.

2. We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.

Life is too short to do things you hate. Tap into the passion that oozes out of your soul. For people like David Goggins, it means going for a 10-mile run. And for others, it means creating extraordinary art. Find what stirs your soul.

3. Spring is nature’s way of saying, ‘Let’s party!’

Each cycle of nature brings its own lessons. The winter is a time for introspection and renewal, autumn is a time for letting go of what doesn’t serve us anymore, summer is a time of wholehearted action, expressing joy and spring is a time of exploding with new life!

4. Reality is just a crutch for people who can’t cope with drugs.

The lesson here is that reality is hard. As Matthew McConaughey said, don’t pretend that life is easy, it’s tough. Either you can endure the pain with self-discipline or you can cover that pain with drugs.

5. You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you weren’t paying attention to.

After every dark night, there is a brighter day. As Tony Robbins says, bad times and problems call us to a higher level. They help us grow into a better and stronger person. This is one of our favorite Robin Williams quotes because it inspires people to become stronger.

6. No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change this world. -Dead Poets Society

Great leaders have always used words to influence millions of people. Think about Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Mahatma Gandhi. Words when used right can change people’s lives.

7. Never pick a fight with an ugly person, they’ve got nothing to lose.

If someone is ugly on the inside, it is only their nature to be unpleasant. So don’t worry about the toxic people in your lives. Don’t lose your cool, your goodness, because of them.

8. If women ran the world we wouldn’t have wars, just intense negotiations every 28 days.

Robin Williams would never stop making people laugh. However demanding life gets, never lose your humor. Never be feverish about success, everything falls into its place.

9. But only in their dreams can men be truly free. It was always thus and always thus will be. -Dead Poets Society

Reality is hard. Only when we are living our dreams, we become truly free. So dare to dream and more importantly, don’t be a talker, be a doer.

10. You have this idea that you’d better keep working otherwise people will forget. And that was dangerous. And then you realize, no, actually if you take a break people might be more interested in you.

You don’t attract people’s attention by following the rules. You catch their attention when you break the rules.

11. Cocaine is God’s way of telling you you are making too much money.

Cocaine keeps you “high” but it cannot fulfill you. You keep wanting more and more. You have to accept the challenges life throws at you because you can only hide for so long. This is one of the most brilliant Robin Williams quotes ever.

12. Comedy is acting out optimism.

Comedians find humor in the most mundane of things and make people laugh. They are just acting out optimism by seeing everything from a funny side.

13. I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself. – Robin Williams Quotes

There is a difference between training and education. The current education system trains people to conform to external rules. Real education brings freedom and fulfillment, it shows people how to live and prosper in life.

14. The world is open for play, everything and everybody is mockable in a wonderful way.

If you wear the lens of humor on your eyes, you’ll find that everything and everyone is mockable. There’s nothing to be serious about. That’s why you should keep your humor even when the going gets really tough.

15. “You know, as we come to the end of this phase of our life, we find ourselves trying to remember the good times and trying to forget the bad times, and we find ourselves thinking about the future. We start to worry, thinking, ‘What am I gonna do? Where am I gonna be in ten years?’ But I say to you, ‘Hey, look at me!’ Please, don’t worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting. And if you’re ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day… make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did.” — Jack Powell

Life is like a story and you are given limited time to write. There is no use worrying about what happens next because you are the author of your own story and time is going to end anyway.

16. You know what music is? God’s little reminder that there’s something else besides us in this universe, harmonic connection between all living beings, everywhere, even the stars.

Music shows us that we are all one. Although we may have our differences, we still dance to the same tunes. It is a great reminder that the world is too large and abundant to be focused on our little problems.

2 Responses

Robbin Williams, souls like you provide a bright candle to humanity. Whatever price you paid to become who you are is worth it 1 million times.

Robin was a bright light ina dark sky I will always remember him for his humor and his caring

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14 Quotes from Einstein on Education (with Sources)

On Schooling:   ‘’It is nothing short of a miracle that modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry. ’’  [quoted in The New York Times , March 13 1949, p. 34].

On Imagination: ‘ ’Knowledge is limited.  Imagination encircles the world. ’’ [quoted in “What Life Means to Einstein: An Interview by George Sylvester Viereck” Saturday Evening Post , October 26th, 1929, p. 11].

On Love of Learning : ’I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious .’’ [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 548].

On Creativity: ‘’It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge.’ ‘ [quoted in Alice Calaprice, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 100].

On Play : “The desire to arrive finally at logically connected concepts is the emotional basis of a vague play with basic ideas. . . . . this combinatory or associative play seems to be the essential feature in productive thought.”   [quoted in Jacques Hadamard, An Essay on the Psychology of Invention in the Mathematical Field , Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1945, p. 142].

On Curiosity : “The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day. Never lose a holy curiosity.’’  [quoted in, ‘’Death of a Genius–Old Man’s Advice to Youth: ‘Never Lose a Holy Curiosity,’’ Life Magazine 38, no. 18, (May 2, 1955): p. 64].

On Wonder: ”The most beautiful emotion we can experience is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead, a snuffled-out candle.”  [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 387].

On Individuality:   ”The development of general ability for independent thinking and judgment should always be placed foremost, not the acquisition of special knowledge. . .”   [quoted in Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions , Broadway Books, p. 64].

On Neurodiversity : His son, Albert Einstein Jr. wrote: ” [Einstein] was . . . considered backward by his teachers. He told me that his teachers reported to his father that he was mentally slow, unsociable and adrift forever in his foolish dreams .” [quoted in Victor Goertzel and Mildred G. Goertzel, Cradles of Eminence, p. 248.

On Compassion:   ‘’ Our task must be to free ourselves from our prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all humanity and the whole of nature in its beauty .’’  [quoted in Walter Sullivan, ‘’The Einstein Papers: A Man of Many Parts,’’ The New York Times , March 29, 1972, p. 20].

On Care for Nature :  ” In every true searcher of Nature there is a kind of religious reverence .”  [quoted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 32].

On Tolerance :  ‘’ Laws alone can not secure freedom of expression; in order that every man present his views without penalty there must be spirit of tolerance in the entire population. ’’ [quoted in The Ultimate Quotable Einstein , p. 297].

On Beauty:   ‘’ To sense that behind anything that can be experienced there is something that our minds cannot grasp, whose beauty and sublimity reaches us only indirectly; this is religiousness. In this sense, and in this sense only, I am a devoutly religious man .”  [quoted in Walter Isaacson, Einstein: His Life and Universe , p. 387].

On Education:   ‘’ The wit was not wrong who defined education in this way: ‘Education is that which remains, if one has forgotten everything he learned in school .’’ [quoted in Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions , p. 63].

This page was brought to you by Thomas Armstrong, Ph.D. and www.institute4learning.com .

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The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast

A Philosophy Podcast and Philosophy Blog

Education and Schopenhauer’s “Thinking for Oneself”

June 11, 2014 by reqdevtest 8 Comments

Thinking must be kindled, like a fire by a draught; it must be sustained by some interest in the matter in hand. This interest may be of a purely objective kind, or merely subjective. The latter comes into play only in things that concern us personally. Objective interest is confined to heads that think by nature; to whom thinking is as natural as breathing; and they are very rare. This is why most men of learning show so little of it.

The social activist Emma Goldman would express a similar thought when writing in 1910 that “the pupil will accept only that which his mind craves.” In Goldman’s essay, as in Schopenhauer’s, there is the germ of an educational theory, and it is this course of thinking I would like to explore.

Ideas toward an educational theory seem difficult at first blush, especially with Schopenhauer’s insistence that reading and thinking are counterpoised to each other. He writes that

reading forces alien thoughts upon the mind—thoughts which are as foreign to the drift and temper in which it may be for the moment, as the seal is to the wax on which it stamps its imprint. The mind is thus entirely under compulsion from without; it is driven to think this or that, though for the moment it may not have the slightest impulse or inclination to do so.

This is troubling to almost any kind of educational theory because education, typically conceived, involves reading books pertaining to the field a person studies and becoming acquainted with the evidence, research, and sources from which the field draws. Yet for all that, for Schopenhauer, “Reading is thinking with some one else’s head instead of one’s own.” Schopenhauer’s worry about reading is quite similar to parental worry about advertisement geared toward children or ordinary citizens’ concern about the concentration of news sources under the aegis of only a few corporations. The worry is, in broad form, that when you merely accept what you read or hear, you are not thinking for yourself. In contrast,

when a man thinks for himself, he follows the impulse of his own mind, which is determined for him at the time, either by his environment or some particular recollection. The visible world of a man’s surroundings does not, as reading does, impress a single definite thought upon his mind, but merely gives the matter and occasion which lead him to think what is appropriate to his nature and present temper.

Schopenhauer believes that it is better for a person to think for herself, even if she arrives at the same conclusion that others before her have reached. He thinks the benefit of thinking for yourself, whether or not you arrive at what people have thought before you, is that you come to know what you know more intimately than someone who has only read it or heard about it—that is, you come to have a richer understanding of what you know if you have worked it out for yourself, an understanding you are unlikely to forget, and thus it is better to learn through the experience of thinking something through and working it out yourself.

A man may have discovered some portion of truth or wisdom, after spending a great deal of time and trouble in thinking it over for himself and adding thought to thought; and it may sometimes happen that he could have found it all ready to hand in a book and spared himself the trouble. But even so, it is a hundred times more valuable if he has acquired it by thinking it out for himself. For it is only when we gain our knowledge in this way that it enters as an integral part, a living member, into the whole system of our thought; that it stands in complete and firm relation with what we know; that it is understood with all that underlies it and follows from it; that it wears the color, the precise shade, the distinguishing mark, of our own way of thinking; that it comes exactly at the right time, just as we felt the necessity for it; that it stands fast and cannot be forgotten.

Perhaps Schopenhauer’s view entails impractical demands. Wouldn’t it be better for someone to discipline his mind by being instructed in the fundamentals of a subject, and then begin thinking within that framework? According to Schopenhauer, it is fine to become acquainted with a subject but only after you have done your own thinking about it because when you have given it some thought yourself, your mind will be more easily triggered to assimilate the knowledge contained within a subject. Schopenhauer writes, “The body assimilates only that which is like it; and so a man retains in his mind only that which interests him, in other words, that which suits his system of thought or his purposes in life.” If given time to think, one can experience the growth of a system of thought, and consequently will be ready for exposure to what the experts have written or said. Apropos this point, he writes, “The man who thinks for himself forms his own opinions and learns the authorities for them only later on, when they serve but to strengthen his belief in them and in himself.”

Schopenhauer makes it clear that he does not have any problem with reading per se or getting one’s knowledge from external sources. In fact, he thinks it is necessary if a person is to do any kind of reasonable inquiry, let alone make contributions or advances in the sciences. Nevertheless, this ability to read or learn widely and yet think for oneself, knowing how best to take in the information learned, is a skill that comes only with time and after one establishes habits of independent thinking.

The really scientific thinker . . . has need of much knowledge, and so must read a great deal, [but] his mind is nevertheless strong enough to master it all, to assimilate and incorporate it with the system of his thoughts, and so to make it fit in with the organic unity of his insight, which, though vast, is always growing. And in the process, his own thought, like the bass in an organ, always dominates everything and is never drowned by other tones, as happens with minds which are full of mere antiquarian lore; where shreds of music, as it were, in every key, mingle confusedly, and no fundamental note is heard at all.

Like that of a weak composer, the mind of a person who reads or learns a lot but has not acquired the habit of independent thinking does not know how to process anything that has been learned and so produces a strange cacophony of notes.

Imagine if educators took seriously a plan like Schopenhauer’s to encourage and foster the practice of independent thinking among students. Where would it begin, and how would it work? And how would it compare to the current educational system? I’ll leave it to readers to think this through themselves before they pursue the matter further.

Billie Pritchett

NOTE: The author  has been an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher for over five years. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and a Master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

June 12, 2014 at 9:39 am

Schopenhauer was a very educated person and had the tool needed to “think for himself”. You need to read and to listen to others in order to get those tools. Children are not born with those tools and some uneducated people never acquire them at all. Schopenhauer, however, from what you say, seems unconscious that from far starting from zero and thinking for himself, he was already the product of the best education of his time. He’s like rich kids who don’t realize that it’s easy to be “free” if there’s a trust fund to fall back on.

June 16, 2014 at 12:51 am

s. wallerstein:

Yeah, I know what you mean. I’m quite skeptical about Schopenhauer’s proposal myself and not sure how he seriously he took what he wrote. If he did, you would think he would have considered what the implications of his view are. By Schopenhauer’s own admission, the mind needs to be kindled, and it can’t be kindled unless by some body of knowledge and some frameworks for making sense of the world.

June 25, 2014 at 5:22 pm

I really enjoyed reading this Billie. I think that Schopenhauer is right. You need to be able to get information from outside sources but also be able to think for yourself and come to some conclusions by yourself. It would be analogous to finding proofs for some mathematical equations yourself instead of just plugging and chugging. If students do the latter they would have a much more deeper understanding of what they are studying and would be able to (with the critical thinking they have learned from doing this) make their own contributions to specific fields of interest.

June 28, 2014 at 4:49 pm

The ‘weak composer’ analogy works for math research too (probably other sciences as well). Somehow, even if the end result is “new” (and even “good” by some criteria), it will only be a mashup of snippets from others’ brains.

Thinking for yourself is more fun, IMHO. Too bad life’s too short (and I’m not smart enough) to rediscover the gems of human understanding 😀

[insert something clever about “standing on shoulders of giants”]

July 1, 2014 at 9:14 am

Indeed the question of “thinking for one’s self” is a tricky one. One I faced when I first read his Aphorisms. Nevertheless, as a response on previous comments, I believe Schopenhauer took this question very seriously. Thinking for one’s self is not meant for children, it is the duty of mature thinkers. What he’s worried about here is the situation of the so called thinkers of his time, and in addition, of coming times. To clarify, I quote Nietzsche: “How can anyone become a thinker, if one does not spend at least one third of each day without passions, people and books?”. How can we be expected to create anything when we’re stuffed with questions we never asked, and solutions we never sought?! The creation of the genius is what concerns him, not kindergarten education. We should only seek authority, as the name sugests, to reinforce our own intelectual drivings. As he said: “What separates the inauthentic philosopher from the authentic is the fact that for the latter, the perplexity comes from the vision of the world itself, as for the first, simply from a book, a pre-existing system.” In our early years, he believed we should only learn the basics; how to read, how to write, poetry, literature and etc,. Critic thought is the product of several years, experience, effort and is not to be “given” to adolescents (both of age and mind) who can barely put a few sentences together. To conclude, the reading Schopenhauer reffered is the one the spares us of any effort. And for him, to think is to climb a mountain by yourself instead of using a helicopter to get to the top. We should only have the tools to climb not the transportation. I hope I clarified a few aspects of the topic.

July 2, 2014 at 9:20 pm

What an interesting a blog post! I teach reading at a small community college. One of the most important things I’ve learned from my colleagues trained in reading theory is how very active a reader’s mind must be to comprehend texts.

A challenge we have on my campus is to get students to believe their independent thoughts, unique connections, and personal questions are absolutely necessary to engaging a text. In that respect, I think Schopenhauer gets reading wrong (I mean based on what I read in this blog).

If a reader’s mind doesn’t show up with some authenticity, creativity, and inquiry no meaning gets made. In fact readers who are willing to read quickly with miscues and making wrong guesses have better comprehension than the by rote reader who carefully reads each word and looks up those that are unfamiliar.

Anyway, thanks for the post.

December 8, 2014 at 6:03 pm

There’s lots of different people, what they are inclined to in the way of helping themselves, and what they feel an affinity to in how others relate to them.

Some just are so capable at absorbing conventional knowledge, and this is how they mainly help themselves, since there really is so much such valuable knowledge already. Only latter might they get an appetite for other kinds of thinking, such as creative-explorative thinking, and the having of more their own questions.

On some opposite extreme from such thinkers is me. All through grade school, I couldn’t have cared less about what, for me, was just so much menial mental chores. I wanted to explore, and to learn real, hands-on things like how to build a really big boat, or an airplane, and, in the process, learn facts that I would find important, and learn how think about problems I would face in the task of engineering and geometry and math. This was not math like a wholesale course in mathematics-as-such. This was math-as-needed-and-felt, math as personally-felt-engineering problem.

I didn’t even begin to get into any thorough-going philosophical effort until I had managed to get back my own human autonomous mental space from the Anxiety Brokers in social and educational culture. Then I was very glad to happen upon a couple of a certain thinker’s personal-journal-compilations (John Caldwell Holt’s How Children Fail and How Children Learn, and that inspired me to realize that there may be more things for me to find in the world of others words (not that academic textbook swill that always lefty me feeling empty for how damn impersonal such texts have tended to be).

“Like that of a weak composer, the mind of a person who reads or learns a lot but has not acquired the habit of independent thinking does not know how to process anything that has been learned and so produces a strange cacophony of notes.”

My thinking is like that anyway! LOL Except for the cacophony. I think globally, and I hate it when people seem to want me to think in some narrow sense, such as “mathematically” to a degree of symbolic narrowness before I have finished chewing even my first bite of my own preferred real-world or otherwise personally meaningful problem.

“Imagine if educators took seriously a plan like Schopenhauer’s to encourage and foster the practice of independent thinking among students. Where would it begin, and how would it work? And how would it compare to the current educational system?”

Too simplistic. If one had to judge on any small selection of Schopee’s writings, he could seem to be a complete ignoramus on what sorts of reasonably-and-rightly different kinds of people there have always been. The excellent academics in third grade cannot rightly be the standard toward which parents aspire for all their children, otherwise it becomes a rat race driven by the Used Car Salesmen of Misplaced Envy, in which every animal that fails to be rat is an animal that is unjustly forced to act like a rat anyway. Anecdotal successes within a rat race are no proof that the only good animal is a rat.

It is fortunate that we cannot all care less about some one variety of what a normal animal is.

November 2, 2018 at 7:18 pm

Law schools impose the Socratic method of teaching but to be quite frank this teaching style should be imposed as early as high school education.

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Need Encouragement? Seize The Day With These Dead Poets Society Quotes

Whenever we need encouragement, Mr. Keating will deliver it. Here are some of the best Dead Poets Society quotes from the 1989 film.

Every once in a while, we need encouragement to keep going when times are tough . Not sure where to find some? Here’s an idea: uplifting movies.

One great movie that fits this particular bill is(Amazon link) Dead Poets Society . This is a story of an unorthodox teacher ( Robin Williams ) who challenges his students to think about life differently. From witty remarks to sage advice, Mr. Keating always knows what to say.

From the day it came out in theatres back in 1989, Dead Poets Society was a bonafide classic. The main reason for that — other than Williams himself — was the movie’s stellar script. If you’re looking for inspiration, Dead Poets Society has it in spades.

Haven’t seen the movie yet? Need a reminder of how Mr. Keating solves most of life’s dilemmas in about two hours? Here are some of the best movie quotes from Dead Poets Society!

Perspectives: “I stand upon this desk to remind myself that we must always look at things in a different way.”

• (Keating stands on his desk)
• John Keating : Why did I stand up here? Anybody?
• Charlie Dalton : To feel taller!
• John Keating : No!
• (rings a bell with his foot)
• John Keating : But thank you for playing, Mr. Dalton. I stand upon this desk to remind myself that we must always look at things in a different way.

A Silent Voice: “You must strive to find your voice. Because the longer you wait to start, the less likely you are to find it at all.”

• John Keating : Boys, you must strive to find your voice. Because the longer you wait to start, the less likely you are to find it at all. As Thoreau said, “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.” Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!

Imagination 101: “Close your eyes! Close them! Now, describe what you see… a sweaty-toothed madman.”

• John Keating : Close your eyes! Close them! Now, describe what you see.
• Todd Anderson : Uh, I close my eyes.
• John Keating : Yes.
• Todd Anderson : And… this image floats beside me.
• John Keating : A sweaty-toothed madman.
• Todd Anderson : A sweaty-toothed madman with a stare that pounds my brain.
• John Keating : That’s excellent! Now, give him action! Have him do something!
• Todd Anderson : His hands… reach out and choke me.
• John Keating : That’s it! Wonderful, wonderful!
• Todd Anderson : And he’s mumbling all the time.
• John Keating : What’s he mumbling?
• Todd Anderson : The truth.
• John Keating : Yes, yes.
• Todd Anderson : Truth, like… like a blanket that always leaves your feet cold.
• John Keating : (some students start to laugh) Forget them, forget them! Stay with the blanket. Tell me about the blanket!
• Todd Anderson : Y-You push it, stretch it. It’ll never be enough. You kick at it, beat it, it’ll never cover us. From the moment we enter crying to the moment we leave dying, it’ll just cover your face as you cry and wail and scream.
• (long pause, then the class applauds)
• John Keating : Never forget this.

Introductions

• John Keating : “O Captain, my Captain.” Who here knows what that’s from? Anybody? Not a clue? It’s from a poem by Walt Whitman . It’s about Mr. Abraham Lincoln. Now, in this class, you can either call me Mr. Keating or if you’re feeling daring, O Captain my Captain.

Timing: “There’s a time for caution and there’s a time for daring.”

• John Keating : There’s a time for caution and there’s a time for daring. A wise man understands which is called for.

I Also Do Imitations: “You must trust that your beliefs are unique and your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular.”

• John Keating : Now, we all have a great need for acceptance, but you must trust that your beliefs are unique and your own, even though others may think them odd or unpopular, and even though the herd may go: (imitates a goat) “That’s baa-aad.” Robert Frost once said, “Two roads diverged in the wood and I took the one less traveled by. That has made all the difference.”

The Marketplace Of Ideas: “Words and ideas can change the world”

• John Keating : No matter what anybody else tells you, words and ideas can change the world.

Clashing Viewpoints: “I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.”

• John Keating : I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.
• Mr. Nolan : At these boys’ age? Not on your life!

The Missing Page: Understanding Poetry

• John Keating : Gentlemen, open your texts to page 21 of this introduction. Mr. Perry, will you read the opening paragraph of the preface entitled “Understanding Poetry”?
• Neil: “‘Understanding Poetry,’ by  Dr. J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D.  To fully understand poetry, we must first be fluent with its meter, rhyme and figures of speech, then ask two questions: 1) How artfully has the objective of the poem been rendered and 2) How important is that objective? Question 1 rates the poem’s perfection; question 2 rates its importance. And once these questions have been answered, determining the poem’s greatness becomes a relatively simple matter. If the poem’s score for perfection is plotted on the horizontal of a graph and its importance is plotted on the vertical, then calculating the total area of the poem yields the measure of its greatness. A sonnet by Byron might score high on the vertical but only average on the horizontal. A Shakespearean sonnet, on the other hand, would score high both horizontally and vertically, yielding a massive total area, thereby revealing the poem to be truly great. As you proceed through the poetry in this book, practice this rating method. As your ability to evaluate poems in this matter grows, so will, so will your enjoyment and understanding of poetry.”
• John Keating : Excrement. That’s what I think of Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. We’re not laying pipe. We’re talking about poetry. How can you describe poetry like American Bandstand? “Oh, I like Byron. I give him a 42, but I can’t dance to it.” Now, I want you to rip out that page. Go on. Rip out the entire page. You heard me. Rip it out. Rip it out! Go on. Rip it out! [Charles rips out the page] Thank you, Mr. Dalton. Gentlemen, tell you what. Don’t just tear out that page, tear out the entire introduction. I want it gone. History. Leave nothing of it. Rip it out! Rip! Begone, J. Evans Pritchard, Ph.D. Rip. Shred. Tear. Rip it out! I want to hear nothing but ripping of Mr. Pritchard. We’ll perforate it, put it on a roll. It’s not the Bible. You’re not gonna go to Hell for this. Go on. Make a clean tear. I want nothing left of it.
• Richard: We shouldn’t be doing this.
• John Keating : Rip! Rip! Rip! Rip it out! Rip! Rip it out!
• (McCallister enters the room)
• McAllister : What the hell is going on here?
• John Keating : I don’t hear enough rips!
• McAllister : Mr. Keating.
• John Keating : Mr. McAllister.
• McAllister : I’m sorry. I– I didn’t know you were here.
• John Keating : I am.
• McAllister : Ah, so you are. Excuse me.
• John Keating : Keep ripping, gentlemen! This is a battle. A war. And the casualties could be your hearts and souls. Thank you, Mr. Dalton. Armies of academics going forward, measuring poetry. No! We’ll not have that here. No more Mr. J. Evans Pritchard. Now, in my class, you will learn to think for yourself again. You will learn to savor words and language. No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world. I see that look in Mr. Pitt’s eye like nineteenth-century literature has nothing to do with going to business school or medical school. Right? Maybe. Mr. Hopkins, you may agree with him, thinking “Yes, we should simply study our Mr. Pritchard and learn our rhyme and meter and go quietly about the business of achieving other ambitions.” I have a little secret for ya. Huddle up. Huddle up!
• John Keating : We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. Medicine, law, business, engineering, are all noble pursuits, and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman: “O me, o life of the questions of these recurring, of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities filled with the foolish. What good amid these, o me, o life? Answer: that you are here. That life exists, and identity. That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse. That the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?

Famous Poets: “But only in their dreams can a man be truly free.”

• McAllister : “Show me the heart unfettered by foolish dreams and I will show you a happy man.”
• John Keating : “But only in their dreams can a man be truly free. ‘Twas always thus, and always thus will be.”
• McAllister : Tennyson?
• John Keating : No, Keating.

Need Encouragement?: “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. And make your lives extraordinary.”

• John Keating : They’re not that different from you, are they? Same haircuts. Full of hormones, like you. Invincible, like you feel. The world is their oyster. They think they’re destined for great things, like many of you. Their eyes are full of hope, like yours. Did they wait until it was too late to make from their lives even one iota of what they were capable of? See, gentlemen, these boys are now fertilizing daffodils. But if you listen close, you can hear them whisper their legacy to you. Lean in, listen. Do you hear it? Carpe… Hear it?… Carpe diem . Seize the day, boys. And make your lives extraordinary.

Sign From Above: “Mr. Nolan, it’s for you. It’s God. He thinks we should have girls at Welton.”

• Charlie Dalton : (answering phone) Welton Academy, hello. He is, yes. Just a moment. Mr. Nolan, it’s for you. It’s God. He thinks we should have girls at Welton.

Sucking The Marrow Out Of Life: “Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.”

• John Keating : Sucking the marrow out of life doesn’t mean choking on the bone.

Defying Your Father: “For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do!”

• Neil Perry : For the first time in my whole life, I know what I wanna do! And for the first time, I’m gonna do it! Whether my father wants me to or not! Carpe diem!

The Last Goodbye: “O Captain! My Captain!”

• Mr. Nolan : Leave, Mr. Keating. (pause) I said, “Leave, Mr. Keating.”
• Todd Anderson : (climbs up onto his desk) O Captain! My Captain!
• Mr. Nolan : Mr. Anderson, sit down! Do you hear me? Sit down! This is your final warning, Anderson. How dare you? Do you hear me?
• Knox Overstreet : (stands up on his desk) O Captain! My Captain!
• Mr. Nolan : Mr. Overstreet, I’m warning you! Sit down!
• (Pitts climbs onto his desk, followed by Meeks, then more than half the class)
• Mr. Nolan : Sit down! Sit down. All of you. I want you seated. Leave, Mr. Keating. All of you, down. I want you seated. Sit down! Do you hear me?
• John Keating : Thank you, boys.

The Best Dead Poets Society Quotes

For many of us, Dead Poets Society is the movie version of comfort food. Whenever we need encouragement, Mr. Keating will deliver it.

Of course, this is far from the only uplifting movie from Hollywood. Movies like Forrest Gump , Planet Of The Apes , Titanic , Harry Potter , and even The Goonies are all full of inspirational and uplifting movie quotes.

Did we miss your favorite quote from Dead Poets Society? That wouldn’t be much of a surprise, as we could’ve easily quoted the entire script! Let us know if you liked these Dead Poets Society quotes in the comments below.

I’m a dog owner that loves poetry, vampires, mountain biking, and cosplay. I’m open to ideas and still trying to figure my SFO life out one blog post at a time. LF ISO SWF GSOH SI DDF.

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Top 15 Inspiring Quotes about Education

• January 30, 2023

I love the power of education. Education inspires all other professions. Here are my top 15 favorite quotes on the power of learning.

Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school. -Albert Einstein

The world is my classroom, each day is a new lesson, and every new person I meet is my teacher. -Craig Harper

Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all. -Aristotle

The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you. -BB King

Every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way. -George Evans

If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn. -Ignacio Estrada

I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself. -Dead Poet’s Society

When one teaches, two learn. -Robert Heinlein

Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by the way it climbs a tree it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. -Albert Einstein

All men who have turned out worth anything have had the chief hand in their own education. -Sir Walter Scott

Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn. -Benjamin Franklin

The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education. -Martin Luther King Jr.

A child educated only at school is an uneducated child. -George Santayana

It shouldn’t matter how slowly a child learns as long as we are encouraging them not to stop. -Robert John Meehan

We ask children to do for most of a day what few adults are able to do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn’t interest us, can keep our minds from wandering? Hardly any. -John Holt

What are your favorite educational quotes?

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10 Thought-Provoking Self-Education Quotes On Learning and School

Everyone knows those inspirational posters that you see in doctor’s offices, schools and libraries that encourage you to be curious, challenge yourself and read more. Well, San Francisco-based teacher  Peter Castro  has taken them to the next level as a tool to question our assumptions about what constitutes education.

Remarkably, studies are now revealing that over 80% of learning is informal and outside of the classroom. This means that curiosity, passion and self-education are the key factors that determine a person’s education and lifelong success. Clearly, there needs to be more integration of classroom learning with people’s unique talents and with the real world that exists beyond the walls of bureaucratic institutions.

I think these thought-provoking self-education quotes really illustrate some interesting perspectives on self-education, school and the ultimate goal of education, which is to teach people to think for themselves.

Self-Education Quotes:

1. The difference between school and life? In school, you’re taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you’re given a test that teaches you a lesson. – Tom Bodett

2. My contention is that creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status. – Sir Ken Robinson

3. “What century will your students enter on the first day of school?”

4.There are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. – Joseph Brodsky

5. You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety – Abraham Maslow

6. I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious. – Albert Einstein

7. Can the system of schooling designed to process groups of students in standardized ways in a monolithic instructional mode be adapted to handle differences in the way individual brains are wired for learning. – Christensen, Horn, and Johnson, in Disrupting Class

8. “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” – Bruce Lee

9. “Imagination is a force that can actually manifest a reality.” – James Cameron, TED 2010

10. The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all. – Jawaharlal Nehru

I hope you enjoyed these self-education quotes as much as I did. With school systems in constant reform around the world to meet the needs of the new economy, I hope these graphics can inspire both teachers and citizens alike to challenge the status quo and demand an education system that better serves the needs of everyone.

If you liked these self-education quotes, you’ll also enjoy this post on Unschooling Quotes .

All images remixed by  Eric Castro . Licensed under Creative Commons: Attribution 2.0

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Lovely quotes-they provide ‘food for thought’ I especially love the one by Nehru- it is so true. Can you post some more soon.

i love them………… i am specially inspired by JOSEPH BRODSKY’S thought…………….can u add some more thoughts?

I post regular self-education quotes on the DIY Genius Facebook page. Check it out! http://www.facebook.com/diygenius

These quotes are really inspirational. They are really good and everyone can learn from them

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Think For Yourself Quotes

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To find yourself, think for yourself.

The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud.

Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.

Trust yourself. Think for yourself. Act for yourself. Speak for yourself. Be yourself. Imitation is suicide.

Now you are beginning to think for yourself instead of letting others think for you. That’s the beginning of wisdom.

Dare to think for yourself.

Learn to see, listen, and think for yourself.

The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.

I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.

Information is Power. Think For Yourself. CAUTION: proper use of the brain is not endorsed by federal governments nor huge corporations involved in serious financial profit from a brainwashed and enslaved population. Mild discomfort may occur as confusing independent thought challenges popular views of the world.

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds!

No price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.

One of the first things I think young people, especially nowadays, should learn is how to see for yourself and listen for yourself and think for yourself. Then you can come to an intelligent decision for yourself. If you form the habit of going by what you hear others say about someone, or going by what others think about someone, instead of searching that thing out for yourself and seeing for yourself, you will be walking west when you think you're going east, and you will be walking east when you think you're going west.

To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.

Wake-up! Think for yourself, be yourself and return to what is real.

Be yourself and think for yourself, and while your conclusions may not be infallible they will be nearer right than the inclusions forced upon you by those who have a personal interest in keeping you in ignorance.

I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.

The individual has always to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.

But somethings in life are more important than being happy. Like being free to think for yourself.

If you read, you can learn to think for yourself.

When you place a high value on truth, you have to think for yourself.

The most contrarian thing of all is not to oppose the crowd but to think for yourself.

People say that you're going the wrong way when it's simply a way of your own.

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.

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Clip duration: 7 seconds Views: 485 Timestamp in movie: 01h 19m 46s Uploaded: 04 April, 2022 Genres: comedy , drama Summary: Maverick teacher John Keating uses poetry to embolden his boarding school students to new heights of self-expression.

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The Ancient Art of Thinking For Yourself

The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times

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By Robin Reames

Formats and Prices

• Hardcover $30.00 $39.00 CAD
• ebook $18.99 $24.99 CAD

This item is a preorder. Your payment method will be charged immediately, and the product is expected to ship on or around March 19, 2024. This date is subject to change due to shipping delays beyond our control.

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Description

How rhetoric—the art of persuasion—can help us navigate an age of misinformation, conspiracy theories, and political acrimony

The discipline of rhetoric was the keystone of Western education for over two thousand years. Only recently has its perceived importance faded.

In this book, renowned rhetorical scholar Robin Reames argues that, in today’s polarized political climate, we should all care deeply about learning rhetoric. Drawing on examples ranging from the destructive ancient Greek demagogue Alcibiades to modern-day conspiracists like Alex Jones, Reames breaks down the major techniques of rhetoric, pulling back the curtain on how politicians, journalists, and “journalists” convince us to believe what we believe—and to talk, vote, and act accordingly. Understanding these techniques helps us avoid being manipulated by authority figures who don’t have our best interests at heart. It also grants us rare insight into the values that shape our own beliefs. Learning rhetoric, Reames argues, doesn’t teach us what to think but how to think—allowing us to understand our own and others’ ideological commitments in a completely new way.

Thoughtful, nuanced, and leavened with dry humor, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself offers an antidote to our polarized, post-truth world.

• Language Arts & Disciplines
•      New York Times Editors' Choice
• "Liberals who dread Thanksgiving because it means speaking to people with different ideologies or none at all, and conservatives who prefer 'owning the libs' to agonistic engagement, should read The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself ." Wall Street Journal
• "This ancient art can help us stay sane in today’s polarized and post-truth world." Fast Company
• “The history of rhetoric that the author presents is fascinating, and the parallels she draws to the modern world are sharp and sprinkled with both bluntness and wit. . . required reading for any thinking person.” Kirkus (Starred)
• “In an age of fake news and spin, how ideas are packaged and sold is as important as the ideas themselves. In her latest work, Robin Reames traces the historical threads of rhetoric and rhetorical thinking to the modern day, shedding light on the age-old practices that can help us understand truth and persuasion in today's public discourse.” Yascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap
• "We’re not the first to suffer from fake news and conspiracy theories. The Greeks did as well--and they found an antidote. In this compelling deep-dive into ancient rhetoric, Robin Reames teaches us their lost art of argument. May it bring wisdom to our media-addled brains."  Martin Puchner, author of The Written Word
• “I always thought rhetoric was important and needed to be taught, but Robin Reames’s book floored me for the clarity of exposition, the compelling arguments, and the accessibility of the ideas presented in it. Do yourself a favor and get this book. Do other people a favor and gift them copies of it.”  Massimo Pigliucci, author of How to Be a Stoic
• “I kept thinking about this book after I finished it, and then one day I reached out to a friend I hadn’t spoken to in years—because of political disagreements—and a wound began to heal.” Ellen Jovin, founder of the internationally acclaimed Grammar Table
• "If everyone always agreed with everyone else, we would not need rhetoric, as Aristotle once observed. Robin Reames’s new book takes that observation as its premise and presents new ways to think about an old but indispensable art: rhetoric, the art by which things—issues, values, beliefs—come to be held dear. When approached in this way, rhetoric becomes necessary equipment, not for reaching agreement, but for getting where people are coming from and, just as importantly, how they—how we—got here." Debra Hawhee, Penn State University

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I always thought the idea of education was to learn to think for yourself.

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think for yourself

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