Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
Frederick DouglassRead
Some know the value of education by having it. I know it's value by not having it.
Interpretation
Education is valuable, whether experienced directly or through its absence.
In this quote, Frederick Douglass emphasizes that the importance of education can be understood from two perspectives: those who have experienced its benefits firsthand and those like himself, who recognize its significance through the challenges posed by a lack of education. This understanding reveals how deeply education influences oneβs life opportunities and societal standing, illustrating value in both presence and absence.
In practice
In a speech about the significance of education in society.
Slaves sing most when they are most unhappy. The songs of the slave represent the sorrows of his heart; and he is relieved by them, only as an aching heart is relieved by its tears.
We may explain success mainly by one word and that word is WORK! WORK!! WORK!!! WORK!!!!
I do not think much of the good luck theory of self-made men. It is worth but little attention and has no practical value.
To suppress free speech is a double wrong. It violates the rights of the hearer as well as those of the speaker.
The Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. Read its preamble, consider it purposes. Is slavery among them? Is it at the gateway? or is it in the temple? it is neither.
Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them.
I learned to write fiction the way I learned to read fiction - by skipping the parts that bored me.
Education is a kind of continuing dialogue, and a dialogue assumes different points of view.
Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility. If our world is to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century we must harness the energy and creativity of all our citizens.
You see, no one can teach anybody. The teacher spoils everything by thinking that he is teaching. Thus Vedanta says that within man is all knowledge-even in a boy it is so-and it requires only an awakening, and that much is the work of a teacher.
Every piece of marble has a statue in it waiting to be released by a person of sufficient skill to chip away the unnecessary parts. Just as the sculptor is to the marble, so is education to the soul. It releases it. For only educated people are free people. You cannot create a statue by smashing the marble with a hammer, and you cannot by the force of arms release the spirit or the soul of people.
The art of reading is to skip judiciously.
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