The following of authority is the denial of intelligence. [It] may help us temporarily to cover up our difficulties and problems; but to avoid a problem is only to intensify it, and in the process, self-knowledge and freedom are abandoned.
Governments want efficient technicians, not human beings, because human beings become dangerous to governments – and to organized religions as well. That is why governments and religious organizations seek to control education.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote suggests that authorities prioritize compliance over individuality, fearing the potential of free-thinking individuals.
Jiddu Krishnamurti's quote highlights a critical perspective on how governments and organized religions often prefer to cultivate a society of efficient technicians who adhere to norms, rather than encouraging the development of individuals who think independently and challenge authority. The fear is that true human beings, equipped with the capacity for critical thought and personal freedom, could pose a threat to the established structures of control in both government and religious contexts, which is why there is an emphasis on controlling educational systems.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the importance of independent thinking in education.
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Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life - perhaps the greatest, and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody, that is the beauty of it.
All of us have been trained by education and environment to seek personal gain and security and to fight for ourselves. Though we cover it over with pleasant phrases, we have been educated for various professions within a system which is based on exploitation and acquisitive fear.
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