--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In old days men studied for the sake of…" description: "\"In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.\" — Confucius" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg" --- # In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement… ![“In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.” quote by Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg) > “In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.” [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote contrasts intrinsic learning for personal growth with extrinsic learning driven by social validation, highlighting a shift toward external motivations. **In simple terms:** From self-improvement to impressing others. Key Takeaway Motivation matters more than content. Themes motivation learning social pressure authenticity self-improvement Mood reflective critical thoughtful Type observation maxim social commentary When to use this quote - academic settings - career development - social media usage - peer groups - professional networking Key Concepts intrinsic vs extrinsic goals cultural change ego validation Practical Applications - designing curricula that foster intrinsic curiosity - coaching individuals to align learning with personal values Questions to Reflect On - What drives you to learn? - How does external validation affect your growth? A Different Perspective Some argue that external recognition can still inspire deep engagement and achievement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/improvement/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Old days](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-days/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self improvement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-improvement/) ## Related quotes > [In antiquity men studied for their own sake; nowadays men study for the sake of impressing others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-antiquity-men-studied-for-their-own-sake-nowadays-men-study-for/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [There are things which seem incredible to most men who have not studied Mathematics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-are-things-which-seem-incredible-to-most-men-who-have-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nowadays men lead lives of noisy desperation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/nowadays-men-lead-lives-of-noisy-desperation/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [“Nowadays most men lead lives of noisy desperation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-thurber/nowadays-most-men-lead-lives-of-noisy-desperation/) [James Thurber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-thurber/) > [Nowadays most men I meet are terrified of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-jayalalithaa/nowadays-most-men-i-meet-are-terrified-of-me/) [J. Jayalalithaa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-jayalalithaa/) > [People don't have fortunes left them in that style nowadays; men have to work and women to marry for money. It's a dreadfully unjust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-may-alcott/people-don-t-have-fortunes-left-them-in-that-style-nowadays-men-have/) [Louisa May Alcott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-may-alcott/) > [There is no error which hath not some appearance of probability resembling truth, which, when men who study to be singular find out, straining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-raleigh/there-is-no-error-which-hath-not-some-appearance-of-probability/) [Walter Raleigh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-raleigh/) > [We men of study, whose heads are in our books, have need to be straightly looked after! We dream in our waking moments, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathaniel-hawthorne/we-men-of-study-whose-heads-are-in-our-books-have-need-to-be/) [Nathaniel Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathaniel-hawthorne/) > [Good men study to spiritualize their bodies; bad men to incarnate their souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-whichcote/good-men-study-to-spiritualize-their-bodies-bad-men-to-incarnate/) [Benjamin Whichcote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-whichcote/) > [Men study science as god not the God of science.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rogers/men-study-science-as-god-not-the-god-of-science/) [Adrian Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rogers/) > [“Men study women but women watch themselves being watched. 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Today it looks like Disneyland. And while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-rothstein/the-town-will-never-be-the-same-after-the-tangiers-the-big/) Sam Rothstein ## More by Confucius > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Better than the one who knows what is right is the one who loves what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/better-than-the-one-who-knows-what-is-right-is-the-one-who-loves-what/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/knowledge-is-merely-brilliance-in-organization-of-ideas-and-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/i-live-in-a-very-small-house-but-my-windows-look-out-on-a-very-large/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-rule-a-country-of-a-thousand-chariots-there-must-be-reverent/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-real-fault-is-to-have-faults-and-not-amend-them/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-know-what-you-know-and-what-you-do-not-know-that-is-true-knowledge/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [A picture is poem without words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-picture-is-poem-without-words/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Heaven means to be one with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/heaven-means-to-be-one-with-god/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Does Heaven ever speak? The four seasons come and go, and all creatures thrive and grow. Does Heaven ever speak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/does-heaven-ever-speak-the-four-seasons-come-and-go-and-all-creatures/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To study and at times practice what one has learned, is this not a pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-study-and-at-times-practice-what-one-has-learned-is-this-not-a/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/recompense-injury-with-justice-and-recompense-kindness-with-kindness/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/there-is-only-one-thing-in-life-which-never-changes-and-it-is-change/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) [Explore all 1,019 Confucius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## 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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But when I got to school and tried to share learning with other students that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/where-i-grew-up-learning-was-a-collective-activity-but-when-i-got-to/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [There's no authoritarian structure at Reed College, but the education is conservative. So what you have is a lot of students who are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-miller/there-s-no-authoritarian-structure-at-reed-college-but-the-education/) [Donald Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-miller/) > [“What's the best thing about being in college? Good teachers. 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. (Hilda Doolittle > [“It took me years to learn to sit at my desk for more than two minutes at a time, to put up with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erica-jong/it-took-me-years-to-learn-to-sit-at-my-desk-for-more-than-two-minutes/) [Erica Jong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erica-jong/) > [According to Plato, we don't learn anything. Our soul has lived so many lives that we know everything. Teachers and education can only remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/according-to-plato-we-don-t-learn-anything-our-soul-has-lived-so-many/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [“I only began to enjoy studying after I got through the educational system and became a so-called member of society. If something interested me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-only-began-to-enjoy-studying-after-i-got-through-the-educational/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If you had made the acquiring of ignorance the study of your life, you could not have graduated with higher honor than you could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/if-you-had-made-the-acquiring-of-ignorance-the-study-of-your-life-you/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [How wonderful it would be, I thought, if only we could practice the teachings of the Buddha as he really taught them from his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/how-wonderful-it-would-be-i-thought-if-only-we-could-practice-the/) [Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dzogchen-ponlop-rinpoche/) > [English teachers tend to put more thought in the books than the author did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/english-teachers-tend-to-put-more-thought-in-the-books-than-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When will society, like a mother, take care of all her children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/when-will-society-like-a-mother-take-care-of-all-her-children/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) [Browse all 37,666 Education quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Confucius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of-self-improvement-nowadays-men/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of-self-improvement-nowadays-men/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd2/confucius-164_education_in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of_84974.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.” — Confucius", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Confucius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In old days men studied for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of-self-improvement-nowadays-men/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-old-days-men-studied-for-the-sake-of-self-improvement-nowadays-men/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```