--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The true purpose of education is to make…" description: "\"The true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.\" — Chris Hedges" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/chris-hedges-2131_career_the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-make_2002732.png" --- # The true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers. ![“The true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.” quote by Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/chris-hedges-2131_career_the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-make_2002732.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/chris-hedges-2131_career_the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-make_2002732.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/205/chris-hedges-2131_career_the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-make_2002732.png) > “The true purpose of education is to make minds, not careers.” [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should develop thinking abilities rather than just preparing for jobs. **In simple terms:** Teach thinking, not just jobs. Key Takeaway Prioritize critical thinking in curricula. Themes education mindset career purpose learning Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - school reform - career counseling - personal development Key Concepts critical thinking holistic development life skills Questions to Reflect On - What skills are essential beyond vocational training? - How can schools balance job prep and mind growth? A Different Perspective Focusing solely on careers may limit broader potential. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Career](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/career/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mind/) [Psychology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/psychology/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Purpose of education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose-of-education/) [True purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-purpose/) ## Related quotes > [We've bought into the idea that education is about training and "success," defined monetarily, rather than learning to think critically and challenge. We should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/we-ve-bought-into-the-idea-that-education-is-about-training-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [The purpose of education is to make the choices clear to people, not to make the choices for people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-mcwilliams/the-purpose-of-education-is-to-make-the-choices-clear-to-people-not/) [Peter McWilliams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-mcwilliams/) > [The purpose of education is to make good human beings with skill and expertise... Enlightened human beings can be created by teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-j-abdul-kalam/the-purpose-of-education-is-to-make-good-human-beings-with-skill-and/) [A. P. J. Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-j-abdul-kalam/) > [The true purpose of education is to teach you to do the thing that needs to be done,when it needs to be done, whether…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-huxley/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-teach-you-to-do-the-thing-that/) [Thomas Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-huxley/) > [The true purpose of education is to cherish and unfold the seed of immortality already sown within us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-brownell-jameson/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-cherish-and-unfold-the-seed-of/) [Anna Brownell Jameson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-brownell-jameson/) > [The true purpose of education is to prepare young men and women for effective citizenship in a free form of government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-prepare-young-men-and-women-for/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [The true purpose of education is to teach a man to carry himself triumphant to the sunset.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liberty-hyde-bailey/the-true-purpose-of-education-is-to-teach-a-man-to-carry-himself/) [Liberty Hyde Bailey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liberty-hyde-bailey/) > [It must be remembered that the purpose of education is not to fill the minds of students with facts... it is to teach them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-must-be-remembered-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-fill/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The real purpose of education in a person's life should be able to make him transform his envy into admiration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-real-purpose-of-education-in-a-person-s-life-should-be-able-to/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [The only purpose of education is freedom; the only method is experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/the-only-purpose-of-education-is-freedom-the-only-method-is-experience/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [There is a myth that the purpose of education is to give one the means for upward mobility and success. The plain truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-orr/there-is-a-myth-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-to-give-one-the/) [David W. Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-orr/) > [Without an integrated understanding of life, our individual and collective problems will only deepen and extend. The purpose of education isn't to produce mere…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/without-an-integrated-understanding-of-life-our-individual-and/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [“The reformers define the purpose of education as preparation for global competitiveness, higher education, or the workforce. They view students as “human capital” or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-ravitch/the-reformers-define-the-purpose-of-education-as-preparation-for/) [Diane Ravitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-ravitch/) > [The purpose of education is not to fill a vessel but to kindle a flame.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/the-purpose-of-education-is-not-to-fill-a-vessel-but-to-kindle-a-flame/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [The tax which will be paid for the purpose of education is not more than the thousandth part of what will be paid to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/the-tax-which-will-be-paid-for-the-purpose-of-education-is-not-more/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) ## More by Chris Hedges > [“the property that grounded the self in Romanticism was sincerity, and in modernism was authenticity, then in postmod ernism it is visibility.10”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/the-property-that-grounded-the-self-in-romanticism-was-sincerity-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Revolutionists who took part in uprisings in one part of the globe would often migrate to take part in uprisings in another. 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Take this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/a-democracy-survives-when-its-citizens-have-access-to-trustworthy-and/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [It is the cult of self that is killing the United States. This cult has within it the classic traits of psychopaths: superficial charm,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/it-is-the-cult-of-self-that-is-killing-the-united-states-this-cult/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [“Our march toward self-annihilation has already obliterated ninety percent of the large fish in the oceans and wiped out half of the mature tropical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hedges/our-march-toward-self-annihilation-has-already-obliterated-ninety/) [Chris Hedges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hedges/) > [No real journalist makes $5 million a year... 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