--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Teaching and writing about philosophy is…" description: "\"Teaching and writing about philosophy is about the only thing I've ever been really good at.\" — Allen W. Wood" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/allen-w-wood-2748_education_teaching-and-writing-about-philosophy-is_600172.jpg" --- # Teaching and writing about philosophy is about the only… ![“Teaching and writing about philosophy is about the only thing I've ever been really good at.” quote by Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/allen-w-wood-2748_education_teaching-and-writing-about-philosophy-is_600172.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/allen-w-wood-2748_education_teaching-and-writing-about-philosophy-is_600172.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/165/allen-w-wood-2748_education_teaching-and-writing-about-philosophy-is_600172.jpg) > “Teaching and writing about philosophy is about the only thing I've ever been really good at.” [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Philosophy is the author's strongest skill and focus. **In simple terms:** Philosophy is their expertise. Key Takeaway Continue teaching and writing. Themes education philosophy expertise Mood confident proud Type academic reflective When to use this quote - college courses - public lectures - academic publishing Key Concepts pedagogy intellectual history writing Questions to Reflect On - What other interests could you explore? - How can philosophy inform other domains? A Different Perspective Overreliance on one field may limit growth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Teaching](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching/) [Teaching writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teaching-writing/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [The arrogance that says analysing the relationship between reasons and causes is more important than writing a philosophy of shyness or sadness or friendship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-de-botton/the-arrogance-that-says-analysing-the-relationship-between-reasons/) [Alain de Botton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-de-botton/) > [My writing philosophy is throwing spaghetti against the wall. That's how I take pictures, too. If I take 100, surely one will be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-peet/my-writing-philosophy-is-throwing-spaghetti-against-the-wall-that-s/) [Amanda Peet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-peet/) > [As a matter of writing philosophy, if there is one, I try not to ever plot a story. I try to write it from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-a-matter-of-writing-philosophy-if-there-is-one-i-try-not-to-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Teaching and writing, to me, is really just seduction; you go to where people are and you find something that they're interested in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-m-krauss/teaching-and-writing-to-me-is-really-just-seduction-you-go-to-where/) [Lawrence M. Krauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-m-krauss/) > [“In some ways the goals of teaching and writing are the same. 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That is my main thing, because personally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-king/i-don-t-really-have-a-life-philosophy-my-thing-is-just-rebelling/) [Kerry King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-king/) > [But then of course a philosophy is not the same thing as a style.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/but-then-of-course-a-philosophy-is-not-the-same-thing-as-a-style/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [“Every point, every person, every philosophy and every thing is contradictory, if stated out of context.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/educationist-rana-vikram-singh/every-point-every-person-every-philosophy-and-every-thing-is/) [Educationist Rana Vikram Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/educationist-rana-vikram-singh/) > [“But philosophy is one thing, praxis is another.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michiel-heyns/but-philosophy-is-one-thing-praxis-is-another/) Michiel Heyns > [My philosophy about the whole thing is that awards are like gifts: it's lovely to receive them, and it is very bad form to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-hunnam/my-philosophy-about-the-whole-thing-is-that-awards-are-like-gifts-it/) [Charlie Hunnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-hunnam/) > [A writer must always try to have a philosophy and he should also have a psychology and a philology and many other things. Without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/a-writer-must-always-try-to-have-a-philosophy-and-he-should-also-have/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [Teaching and writing are separate, but serve/feed one another in so many ways. Writing travels the road inward, teaching, the road out - helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-shihab-nye/teaching-and-writing-are-separate-but-serve-feed-one-another-in-so/) [Naomi Shihab Nye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-shihab-nye/) > [Because I don't have to be careful of people's feelings when I teach literature, and I do when I'm teaching writing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tobias-wolff/because-i-don-t-have-to-be-careful-of-people-s-feelings-when-i-teach/) [Tobias Wolff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tobias-wolff/) ## More by Allen W. Wood > [For the utilitarian, there is a fact of the matter about the good (the general happiness, or whatever conception of the good the utilitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/for-the-utilitarian-there-is-a-fact-of-the-matter-about-the-good-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [No theory about our bodies as mere objects of observation and calculation (as distinct from partners in communicative interaction, assumed to be free) can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/no-theory-about-our-bodies-as-mere-objects-of-observation-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kantian ethical theory distinguishes three levels: First, that of a fundamental principle (the categorical imperative, formulated in three main ways in Kant's Groundwork); second,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kantian-ethical-theory-distinguishes-three-levels-first-that-of-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Some empirical feelings, such as sympathy, are indispensable parts of certain moral virtues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/some-empirical-feelings-such-as-sympathy-are-indispensable-parts-of/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [We commit not only theoretical error but also moral wrong in objectifying ourselves or other rational beings, ignoring their capacities for free action and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/we-commit-not-only-theoretical-error-but-also-moral-wrong-in/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kant certainly was sympathetic with the metaphysical tradition of rational theology that he criticized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kant-certainly-was-sympathetic-with-the-metaphysical-tradition-of/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [That Hegel's theory is derivative from Fichte's does not prevent it from being strikingly original and of independent value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/that-hegel-s-theory-is-derivative-from-fichte-s-does-not-prevent-it/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is sad to witness the persistence in our society of the racism and xenophobia that seems to be a permanent part of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-sad-to-witness-the-persistence-in-our-society-of-the-racism-and/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is rational to choose the right means to your ends to develop very elegant abstract formal theories of rational choice, and then turn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-rational-to-choose-the-right-means-to-your-ends-to-develop-very/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [We can never prove that we are free or integrate our freedom in any way into our objective conception of the causal order of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/we-can-never-prove-that-we-are-free-or-integrate-our-freedom-in-any/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Kant regards the universalizability test for maxims as focused on a very special sort of situation: one where the agent is tempted to make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/kant-regards-the-universalizability-test-for-maxims-as-focused-on-a/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [My own view is that Kant's conception of the duality of the good (morality and happiness, the good of our person and the good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/my-own-view-is-that-kant-s-conception-of-the-duality-of-the-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [It is actually a nice question how far Descartes himself endorses the monological and metaphysically dualistic theory of mind associated with his name and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/it-is-actually-a-nice-question-how-far-descartes-himself-endorses-the/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [In fact people do not know enough about themselves and what is good for them to form a sufficiently definite conception of the general…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/in-fact-people-do-not-know-enough-about-themselves-and-what-is-good/) [Allen W. Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-w-wood/) > [Empiricist philosophy always tends to be anti-philosophy (and is often proud of it).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-w-wood/empiricist-philosophy-always-tends-to-be-anti-philosophy-and-is-often/) [Allen W. 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They inspire you, they entertain you, and you end up learning a ton even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-sparks/what-s-the-best-thing-about-being-in-college-good-teachers-they/) [Nicholas Sparks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicholas-sparks/) > [“If one has not a head of steel it will burst; if he has not within it a brain of liquid quicksilver, he will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ioannes-amos-commenius/if-one-has-not-a-head-of-steel-it-will-burst-if-he-has-not-within-it/) Ioannes Amos Commenius > [“let us not teach / what we have learned badly / and not profited by”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-d-hilda-doolittle/let-us-not-teach-what-we-have-learned-badly-and-not-profited-by/) H.D. 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