--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Modern society has created a giant…" description: "\"“Modern society has created a giant apparatus for the cultivation of the hard skills, while failing to develop the moral and emotional faculties down b..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/david-brooks-644_children_modern-society-has-created-a-giant-appar_1811478.jpg" --- # Modern society has created a giant apparatus for the… ![“Modern society has created a giant apparatus for the cultivation of the hard skills, while failing to develop the moral and emotional faculties down below. Children are coached on how to jump through a thousand scholastic hoops. Yet by far the most important decisions they will make are about whom…” quote by David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/david-brooks-644_children_modern-society-has-created-a-giant-appar_1811478.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/david-brooks-644_children_modern-society-has-created-a-giant-appar_1811478.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/980/david-brooks-644_children_modern-society-has-created-a-giant-appar_1811478.jpg) > ““Modern society has created a giant apparatus for the cultivation of the hard skills, while failing to develop the moral and emotional faculties down below. Children are coached on how to jump through a thousand scholastic hoops. Yet by far the most important decisions they will make are about whom to marry and whom to befriend, what to love and what to despise, and how to control impulses. On these matters, they are almost entirely on their own.”” [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Society emphasizes technical skills over moral and emotional development, leaving people to navigate personal decisions alone. **In simple terms:** Hard skills are taught, but moral and emotional growth are neglected. Key Takeaway Cultivate empathy and self‑control alongside technical learning. Themes education morality emotions personal growth Mood reflective concerned Type advisory philosophical When to use this quote - parenting - school curriculum - career counseling - relationship advice Key Concepts character development social responsibility impulse control Questions to Reflect On - How can schools integrate moral education? - What practices nurture emotional intelligence? A Different Perspective Technical training alone cannot fully prepare individuals for life's relational challenges. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Important decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/important-decision/) [Modern society](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/modern-society/) ## Related quotes > [“One such evolutionary system, or ridge, encompasses panhuman emotional faculties, or affective “programs.” These include the basic, or primary, emotions that Darwin first identified:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-atran/one-such-evolutionary-system-or-ridge-encompasses-panhuman-emotional/) [Scott Atran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-atran/) > [The SEALs were very good in teaching me hard skills - that means resilience, pushing past your mental and physical boundaries; and having an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonny-kim/the-seals-were-very-good-in-teaching-me-hard-skills-that-means/) [Jonny Kim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonny-kim/) > [A basic problem for people in politics is that approximately none have the hard skills necessary to distinguish great people from charlatans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/a-basic-problem-for-people-in-politics-is-that-approximately-none/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [We need to think about how we teach working-class children about not just hard skills, like reading and mathematics, but also soft skills, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-vance-2/we-need-to-think-about-how-we-teach-working-class-children-about-not/) [J. D. Vance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-vance-2/) > [To shape today's and tomorrow's 'future proof' worker, schools must teach specialized hard skills, such as the STEM skills that are in high demand.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-dehaze/to-shape-today-s-and-tomorrow-s-future-proof-worker-schools-must/) [Alain Dehaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-dehaze/) > [When we think about the workplace, people think about hard skills being dominant, but they're not. The employer realizes knowledge will shift quickly, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerald-chertavian/when-we-think-about-the-workplace-people-think-about-hard-skills/) [Gerald Chertavian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerald-chertavian/) > [It is urgent to shift from a traditional, authoritative, rote educational approach to a project-based and experiential approach. Specific hard skills are fundamental, but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alain-dehaze/it-is-urgent-to-shift-from-a-traditional-authoritative-rote/) [Alain Dehaze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alain-dehaze/) > [I want to improve, I have to work hard at my skills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andre-schurrle/i-want-to-improve-i-have-to-work-hard-at-my-skills/) [Andre Schurrle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andre-schurrle/) > [Kids aren't political, but around 10 years old, they are beginning to develop the moral grounding that might later, in their teens, develop into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-gleitzman/kids-aren-t-political-but-around-10-years-old-they-are-beginning-to/) [Morris Gleitzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-gleitzman/) > [I believe our task is to develop a moral and aesthetic imagination deep enough and wide enough to encompass the contradictions of our time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-tarnas/i-believe-our-task-is-to-develop-a-moral-and-aesthetic-imagination/) [Richard Tarnas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-tarnas/) > [It's hard to say 'No' and develop your moral fiber. That's why your school is so important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/siobhan-fallon-hogan/it-s-hard-to-say-no-and-develop-your-moral-fiber-that-s-why-your/) [Siobhan Fallon Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/siobhan-fallon-hogan/) > [As we develop the moral aspect of our lives, we often adapt standards of right and wrong that serve as guides and deterrents for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-bandura/as-we-develop-the-moral-aspect-of-our-lives-we-often-adapt-standards/) [Albert Bandura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-bandura/) > [It's through the small things that we develop our moral imagination, so that we can understand the sufferings of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-mccall-smith/it-s-through-the-small-things-that-we-develop-our-moral-imagination/) [Alexander McCall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-mccall-smith/) > [From the day I started to think politically and to develop my own moral values, from my earliest youth, I have been an ardent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/from-the-day-i-started-to-think-politically-and-to-develop-my-own/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [Although religion might be useful in developing a solid moral framework - and enforcing it - we can quite easily develop moral intuitions without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-winston/although-religion-might-be-useful-in-developing-a-solid-moral/) [Robert Winston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-winston/) ## More by David Brooks > [The brain is not the mind. It is probably impossible to look at a map of brain activity and predict or even understand the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/the-brain-is-not-the-mind-it-is-probably-impossible-to-look-at-a-map/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [When you're running for president, you're a guest in the living room for four years. And if people don't think you're going to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/when-you-re-running-for-president-you-re-a-guest-in-the-living-room/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“I’ve come to think that flourishing consists of putting yourself in situations in which you lose self-consciousness and become fused with other people, experiences,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-ve-come-to-think-that-flourishing-consists-of-putting-yourself-in/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [We have rapidly increasing technology, which is making life very good for people who are good at using words, and not so good for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/we-have-rapidly-increasing-technology-which-is-making-life-very-good/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I think Barack Obama's foreign policy will be regarded more failure than success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-think-barack-obama-s-foreign-policy-will-be-regarded-more-failure/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [If you know that most processing is below the level of awareness, you learn the value of sleep. 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He is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/tim-kaine-has-been-obviously-a-governor-he-s-been-a-senator-he-s-one/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [“Women, in general, are less visually aroused than men, a trait that has nearly cut the market for pornography in half.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/women-in-general-are-less-visually-aroused-than-men-a-trait-that-has/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) > [I wasn't born with a tie or with Mark Shields stapled to my left hip. I have another life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brooks/i-wasn-t-born-with-a-tie-or-with-mark-shields-stapled-to-my-left-hip/) [David Brooks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) [Explore all 431 David Brooks quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brooks/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. 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