"It's a...mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing & searching can be promoted through means of coercion..."
Came across this ol' chestnut today. Here's the quote below in better (but not complete) context.
"One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year...It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiousity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this is goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted through means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry — especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly." – Albert Einstein The determination, passion, and ability to see and search for yourself has never been more important, nor has it ever been easier for the masses to inquire and discern for themselves than in this century. What, then, is the objective of formal education if not to light a fire under students, stimulating their natural curiosity and helping them to search, critique, and learn on their own and for a lifetime?
