---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: This is not a con game in the criminal…"
description: "\"“This is not a con game in the criminal sense, in which con artists deliberately dupe the suckers. Instead it's a form of good salesmanship, where the ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/david-f-labaree-150972_art_this-is-not-a-con-game-in-the-criminal-s_1980998.jpg"
---

#  This is not a con game in the criminal sense, in which con…

![“This is not a con game in the criminal sense, in which con artists deliberately dupe the suckers. Instead it's a form of good salesmanship, where the first principle is to sell yourself first. We sell ourselves on the value of education in solving social problems, and then we buy what we're…” quote by David F. Labaree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/david-f-labaree-150972_art_this-is-not-a-con-game-in-the-criminal-s_1980998.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/david-f-labaree-150972_art_this-is-not-a-con-game-in-the-criminal-s_1980998.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ab/david-f-labaree-150972_art_this-is-not-a-con-game-in-the-criminal-s_1980998.jpg)

> ““This is not a con game in the criminal sense, in which con artists deliberately dupe the suckers. Instead it's a form of good salesmanship, where the first principle is to sell yourself first. We sell ourselves on the value of education in solving social problems, and then we buy what we're selling. The whole thing rests on the uncertain foundation of our collective willingness to continue to believe the con. Whatever the problem, we continue to keep the faith in schools as the answer.””

[David F. Labaree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-f-labaree/)

## About This Quote

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

Effective salesmanship starts with believing in oneself and the value of education to solve social problems, maintaining faith in schools despite uncertainties.

**In simple terms:** Believe in yourself and education’s value to solve problems.

Key Takeaway

Believe in education’s value.

Themes

education salesmanship social impact belief uncertainty

Mood

educational persuasive

Type

Art:0 Education:1 Salesmanship:1 Social problems:1 Value of education:1 Value Education:0 Salesmanship Principle:0 Good Salesmanship:0 Principle Sell:0

When to use this quote

- school reform
- public speaking
- fundraising
- policy advocacy

Key Concepts

marketing philosophy public policy ethical persuasion

Questions to Reflect On

- thoughtful
- optimistic

A Different Perspective

Education may not solve all social issues alone.

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[Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Good Salesmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-salesmanship-3382472/) [Principle Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principle-sell-3382473/) [Salesmanship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salesmanship/) [Salesmanship Principle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/salesmanship-principle-3382471/) [Social problems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-problems/) [Value Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-education-635219/) [Value of education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value-of-education/)

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> [“To sustain the value of education, students should be respected as much as the teachers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amit-kalantri/to-sustain-the-value-of-education-students-should-be-respected-as/)

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> [Herein lies the real value of education. Advanced education may or may not make men and women more efficient; but it enriches personality, increases…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lyon-phelps/herein-lies-the-real-value-of-education-advanced-education-may-or-may-2/)

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> [“As illusions go, this one is pretty stubborn. When you’re obsessed with efficiency and productivity, it’s difficult to see the real value of education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-bregman/as-illusions-go-this-one-is-pretty-stubborn-when-you-re-obsessed-with/)

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