---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The ambition to secure an education was…"
description: "\"“The ambition to secure an education was most praiseworthy and encouraging. The idea, however, was too prevalent that, as soon as one secured a little ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/booker-t-washington-2277_ambition_the-ambition-to-secure-an-education-was_1556766.png"
---

#  The ambition to secure an education was most praiseworthy…

![“The ambition to secure an education was most praiseworthy and encouraging. The idea, however, was too prevalent that, as soon as one secured a little education, in some unexplainable way he would be free from most of the hardships of the world, and, at any rate, could live without manual labour…” quote by Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/booker-t-washington-2277_ambition_the-ambition-to-secure-an-education-was_1556766.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/booker-t-washington-2277_ambition_the-ambition-to-secure-an-education-was_1556766.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/455/booker-t-washington-2277_ambition_the-ambition-to-secure-an-education-was_1556766.png)

> ““The ambition to secure an education was most praiseworthy and encouraging. The idea, however, was too prevalent that, as soon as one secured a little education, in some unexplainable way he would be free from most of the hardships of the world, and, at any rate, could live without manual labour. There was a further feeling that a knowledge, however little, of the Greek and Latin languages would make one a very superior human being, something bordering almost on the supernatural.””

[Booker T. Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/booker-t-washington/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Education is praised as a path to personal uplift, yet the belief that even minimal learning frees one from all hardship is overly optimistic and can create unrealistic expectations.

**In simple terms:** Education is valued, but small learning doesn’t erase all struggles.

Key Takeaway

Recognize education’s limits and combine it with practical skills.

Themes

education social mobility expectations class knowledge

Mood

reflective critical hopeful

Type

advice philosophical

When to use this quote

- career advancement
- social reform
- personal development
- policy making

Key Concepts

human capital social stratification cognitive elitism

Questions to Reflect On

- How does limited education affect social expectations?
- What practical skills complement formal learning?

A Different Perspective

Education alone cannot guarantee freedom from labor or hardship.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Praiseworthy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-praiseworthy-5831758/) [Education Unexplainable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-unexplainable-5831759/) [Encouraging Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/encouraging-idea-5831760/) [Feeling Knowledge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feeling-knowledge-1990840/) [Latin Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latin-language/)

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## More by Booker T. Washington

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> [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/)

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