Authority Quote by Derrick Jensen
“Grades are a problem. On the most general level, they're an explicit acknowledgment that what you're doing is insufficiently interesting or rewarding for you to do it on your own. Nobody ever gave you a grade for learning how to play, how to ride a bicycle, or how to kiss. One of the best ways to destroy love for any of these activities would be through the use of grades, and the coercion and judgment they represent. Grades are a cudgel to bludgeon the unwilling into doing what they don't want to do, an important instrument in inculcating children into a lifelong subservience to whatever authority happens to be thrust over them.”
About This Quote
Grades are presented as external judgments that diminish intrinsic motivation, turning learning into compliance rather than curiosity.
In simple terms: Grades can undermine love for learning.
Key Takeaway
Seek intrinsic motivation over external validation.
Themes
education
motivation
authority
child development
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- school
- workplace training
- personal projects
Key Concepts
psychology
social control
intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
Questions to Reflect On
- How can feedback be given without coercion?
- What alternatives motivate you?
A Different Perspective
Grades can also provide useful feedback when applied constructively.
![“The rationale which accompanies that imposition of male authority euphemistically referred to as 'the battle of the sexes' bears a certain resemblance to the formulas of nations at war, where any heinousness is justified on the grounds that the enemy is either an inferior [part of the] species or…” quote by Kate Millett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/895/kate-millett-7301_accompany_the-rationale-which-accompanies-that-imp_8896.jpg)
