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Why don't they pass a constitutional amendment prohibiting anybody from learning anything? If it works as well as prohibition did, in five years Americans would be the smartest race of people on Earth.
Will Rogers
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote humorously suggests that preventing learning would paradoxically lead to greater intelligence among people.

Will Rogers uses satire to critique the absurdity of prohibiting education. He proposes that if learning were forbidden, the resultant determination of individuals to acquire knowledge would ultimately make them smarter, highlighting the value and resilience inherent in the pursuit of education despite restrictions.

Themes

EducationLearningIntelligenceSatireKnowledge

In practice

Example use cases

During a debate on educational reform, one might use this quote to illustrate the value of learning.

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Let advertisers spend the same amount of money improving their product that they do on advertising and they wouldn't have to advertise it.
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