Democracy requires an informed citizenry able to question its government.
Richard N. HaassRead
I am confident in saying that Oberlin did more for me than vice versa. I took a fantastic class in religion, which led me to archaeology, which got me to the Middle East, which led me to international relations, which launched me on my career.
Interpretation
Education often provides individuals with invaluable opportunities that shape their careers.
This quote by Richard N. Haass highlights the profound impact that education can have on a person's life. He reflects on how his experiences at Oberlin not only provided him with knowledge but also opened up a series of pathways leading to various fields and ultimately to his career, showcasing the importance of a liberal arts education in creating diverse opportunities for personal and professional growth.
In practice
During a graduation speech, one could use this quote to emphasize the transformative power of education.
Democracy requires an informed citizenry able to question its government.
American influence in the world depends on the ability to act with real capacity and set an example that others will want to follow. This all takes resources.
There is no getting around the reality that the second Iraq war was a war of choice; had it been carried out differently, it still would have been an expensive choice and almost certainly a bad one.
Nationalism is a tool increasingly used by leaders to bolster their authority, especially amid difficult economic and political conditions.
What countries must do to join the World Trade Organization is precisely what they must do to become productive and democratic: accept the rule of law, reduce corruption, and become open, accountable, and transparent.
Terrorism needs to be de-legitimized in the way that slavery has been. Doing so will make governments and individuals think twice before becoming a party to terrorism; it should also make it less difficult to garner support for international action against those who nevertheless carry it out.
Of all the inanimate objects, of all men's creations, books are the nearest to us for they contain our very thoughts, our ambitions, our indignations, our illusions, our fidelity to the truth, and our persistent leanings to error. But most of all they resemble us in their precious hold on life.
Live in the serene peace of laboratories and libraries
Our schools and colleges are turning out people who cannot feel fulfilled unless they are telling other people what to do.
To read as if your life depended on it would mean to let into your reading your beliefs, the swirl of your dreamlife, the physical sensations of your ordinary carnal life; and simultaneously, to allow what you're reading to pierce routines, safe and impermeable, in which ordinary carnal life is tracked, charted, channeled. Then, what of the right answers, the so-called multiple-choice examination sheet with the number 2 pencil to mark one choice and one choice only?
Do not believe what your teacher tells you merely out of respect for the teacher.
Childhood is the sleep of reason.
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