--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is a premium on conformity, and on…" description: "\"“There is a premium on conformity, and on silence. Enthusiasm is frowned upon, since it is likely to be noisy. The Admiral had caught a few kids who ca..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/bel-kaufman-13657_education_there-is-a-premium-on-conformity-and-on_1998339.png" --- # There is a premium on conformity, and on silence… ![“There is a premium on conformity, and on silence. Enthusiasm is frowned upon, since it is likely to be noisy. The Admiral had caught a few kids who came to school before class, eager to practice on the typewriters. He issued a manifesto forbidding any students in the building before 8:20 or after…” quote by Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/bel-kaufman-13657_education_there-is-a-premium-on-conformity-and-on_1998339.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/bel-kaufman-13657_education_there-is-a-premium-on-conformity-and-on_1998339.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cb0/bel-kaufman-13657_education_there-is-a-premium-on-conformity-and-on_1998339.png) > ““There is a premium on conformity, and on silence. Enthusiasm is frowned upon, since it is likely to be noisy. The Admiral had caught a few kids who came to school before class, eager to practice on the typewriters. He issued a manifesto forbidding any students in the building before 8:20 or after 3:00—outside of school hours, students are "unauthorized." They are not allowed to remain in a classroom unsupervised by a teacher. They are not allowed to linger in the corridors. They are not allowed to speak without raising a hand. They are not allowed to feel too strongly or to laugh too loudly. Yesterday, for example, we were discussing "The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars/ But in ourselves that we are underlings." I had been trying to relate Julius Caesar to their own experiences. Is this true? I asked. Are we really masters of our fate? Is there such a thing as luck? A small boy in the first row, waving his hand frantically: "Oh, call on me, please, please call on me!" was propelled by the momentum of his exuberant arm smack out of his seat and fell on the floor. Wild laughter. Enter McHabe. That afternoon, in my letter-box, it had come to his attention that my "control of the class lacked control.”” [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A critique of rigid institutional control that stifles creativity and spontaneity, highlighting the tension between conformity and individuality. **In simple terms:** Strict rules suppress natural curiosity and joy. Key Takeaway Advocate for flexible, supportive environments. Themes education conformity creativity Mood critical reflective Type educational social When to use this quote - classroom management - student expression - creative teaching - policy reform Key Concepts authoritarianism psychology of learning Questions to Reflect On - How can schools balance discipline with freedom? - What policies encourage both structure and imagination? A Different Perspective Over‑regulation can hinder safety and order. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ## Related quotes > [“Thou hast no figures nor no fantasies Which busy care draws in the brains of men; Therefore thou sleep’st so sound. 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Cesar…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bevington/julius-caesar-is-an-ambivalent-study-of-civil-conflict-as-in-richard/) [David Bevington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bevington/) > [“I expect Julius Caesar's actual words not only lacked poignancy but were likely unmentionable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cheryl-bolen/i-expect-julius-caesar-s-actual-words-not-only-lacked-poignancy-but/) Cheryl Bolen > [“p. 274 ...his trademark decision to surrender power as commander in chief and then president, was not...a sign that he had conquered his ambitions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-j-ellis/p-274-his-trademark-decision-to-surrender-power-as-commander-in-chief/) [Joseph J. Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-j-ellis/) > [“when meeting someone, our brains are in overdrive. Remember Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar? 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I came, I saw, I coped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-james/the-canadian-version-of-julius-caesar-s-memoirs-i-came-i-saw-i-coped/) [Clive James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-james/) > [I still remember the moment when my teacher, Mr. Budaza, walked into class and said, 'Today we are going to study 'Julius Caesar,' one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kani/i-still-remember-the-moment-when-my-teacher-mr-budaza-walked-into/) [John Kani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kani/) > [“Some gay soldiers and officers, particularly those with a college education, carried with them a mythology, developed from reading the classics and in conversations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-b-rub/some-gay-soldiers-and-officers-particularly-those-with-a-college/) Allan Bérubé > [I have seen productions of Julius Caesar that set it in a modern, Western context and it just looks as though they're getting rid…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregory-doran/i-have-seen-productions-of-julius-caesar-that-set-it-in-a-modern/) [Gregory Doran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregory-doran/) > [All democracies turn into dictatorships - but not by coup. The people give their democracy to a dictator, whether it's Julius Caesar or Napoleon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/all-democracies-turn-into-dictatorships-but-not-by-coup-the-people/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [Homer, Hesiod, Pythagoras, Plato, and Cicero, just to name a few, all lived in pagan societies. Some of the greatest political and military leaders…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brendan-myers/homer-hesiod-pythagoras-plato-and-cicero-just-to-name-a-few-all-lived/) [Brendan Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brendan-myers/) > [“For those who are interested, the answer is yes, and not just one or two atoms, but probably many many many atoms that were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-filer/for-those-who-are-interested-the-answer-is-yes-and-not-just-one-or/) [Nathan Filer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-filer/) ## More by Bel Kaufman > [I like the word OLD. Not senior, that's for proms. Older? Older than whom? 'Old' is honorable and ripe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/i-like-the-word-old-not-senior-that-s-for-proms-older-older-than-whom/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [“What makes you think you’re so special? Just because you’re a teacher? What he was really saying was: You are so special. 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Keep an open mind to their unexpected responses.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/learning-is-a-process-of-mutual-discovery-for-teacher-and-pupil-keep/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [When giving comes directly from the heart, it can never disappoint or embarrass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/when-giving-comes-directly-from-the-heart-it-can-never-disappoint-or/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [Children are the true connoisseurs. What’s precious to them has no price, only value.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/children-are-the-true-connoisseurs-what-s-precious-to-them-has-no/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [“But I am busiest outside of my teaching classes. 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You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/laughter-keeps-you-healthy-you-can-survive-by-seeing-the-humor-in/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) > [Education can't make us all leaders, but it can teach us which leader to follow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bel-kaufman/education-can-t-make-us-all-leaders-but-it-can-teach-us-which-leader/) [Bel Kaufman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) [Explore all 49 Bel Kaufman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bel-kaufman/) ## More Education quotes > [I put myself in the student's place and remember the frustrations, doubts, determination, and desires I felt when I was going through the initial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-martinez/i-put-myself-in-the-student-s-place-and-remember-the-frustrations/) Ted Martinez > [“In school you are taught to obey and not to think straight for your own good. 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Enthusiasm is frowned upon, since it is likely to be noisy. The Admiral had caught a few kids who came to school before class, eager to practice on the typewriters. He issued a manifesto forbidding any students in the building before 8:20 or after 3:00—outside of school hours, students are \"unauthorized.\" They are not allowed to remain in a classroom unsupervised by a teacher. They are not allowed to linger in the corridors. They are not allowed to speak without raising a hand. They are not allowed to feel too strongly or to laugh too loudly. Yesterday, for example, we were discussing \"The fault, dear Brutus, lies not in our stars/ But in ourselves that we are underlings.\" I had been trying to relate Julius Caesar to their own experiences. Is this true? I asked. Are we really masters of our fate? Is there such a thing as luck? 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