Parents are usually more careful to bestow knowledge on their children rather than virtue, the art of speaking well rather than doing well; but their manners should be of the greatest concern.
The true business of people should be to go back to school and think about whatever it was they were thinking about before somebody came along and told them they had to earn a living.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People should prioritize their personal thoughts and passions over societal expectations of earning a living.
This quote by R. Buckminster Fuller emphasizes the importance of education as a means to explore and cultivate one’s own thoughts and interests. It suggests that too often, individuals are sidetracked by the necessity to earn a living, which can detract from their intellectual growth and personal fulfillment. Going back to school, in this context, symbolizes a return to creativity and self-discovery, allowing individuals to engage deeply with their true interests without the constraints imposed by societal norms.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a graduation speech to inspire students to pursue their passions.
More from R. Buckminster Fuller
All quotes →There is no such thing as genius, some children are just less damaged than others.
Only the free-wheeling artist-explorer, non-academic, scientist-philosopher, mechanic, economist-poet who has never waited for patron-starting and accrediting of his co-ordinate capabilities holds the prime initiative today.
The end move in politics is always to pick up a gun.
I have spent most of my life unlearning things that were proved not to be true
The earth is like a spaceship that didn't come with an operating manual.
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Widening the talent pipeline sufficiently will require a generational commitment to teaching math and science, providing technical training, and mentoring young people of all backgrounds so they understand the full range of possibilities that a career in technology affords.
Banning books gives us silence when we need speech. It closes our ears when we need to listen. It makes us blind when we need sight.
Do our children now have to choose between getting an education and dying? Some of us cannot move on and accept that kind of society.
We buy books because we believe we're buying the time to read them.