--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I say that our system of tests and…" description: "\"I say that our system of tests and grades, as it now exists, is one source of the low yield of great men from our universities. The marking system is a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/edwin-land-7636_chance_i-say-that-our-system-of-tests-and-grade_1669320.png" --- # I say that our system of tests and grades, as it now… ![“I say that our system of tests and grades, as it now exists, is one source of the low yield of great men from our universities. The marking system is a traumatic experience from which most students emerge with a deep determination never to get into a situation where they can be marked again. They…” quote by Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/edwin-land-7636_chance_i-say-that-our-system-of-tests-and-grade_1669320.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/edwin-land-7636_chance_i-say-that-our-system-of-tests-and-grade_1669320.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/3e1/edwin-land-7636_chance_i-say-that-our-system-of-tests-and-grade_1669320.png) > “I say that our system of tests and grades, as it now exists, is one source of the low yield of great men from our universities. The marking system is a traumatic experience from which most students emerge with a deep determination never to get into a situation where they can be marked again. They just won't ever again take a chance.” [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Grades and testing discourage risk‑taking, causing talented students to avoid future challenges. **In simple terms:** Tests stifle boldness. Key Takeaway Encourage learning over grading. Themes education risk talent assessment Mood critical reflective Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - university classrooms - career development - creative projects Key Concepts psychology motivation systems Questions to Reflect On - How can assessments foster growth? - What alternatives promote innovation? A Different Perspective Grades may also motivate excellence if used constructively. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chance/) [Determination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/determination/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades/) [Grades Exists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grades-exists-842009/) [Great men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-men/) [Lows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lows/) [Marking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marking/) [Marking Traumatic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marking-traumatic-842011/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Situation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/situation/) [Source](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/source/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Take a chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/take-a-chance/) [Tests](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests/) [Tests Grades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tests-grades-842010/) [Traumatic experiences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traumatic-experiences/) [Universities Marking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universities-marking-842008/) [University](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/university/) [Yield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/yield/) ## Related quotes > [In school, many of us procrastinate and then successfully cram for tests. We get the grades and degrees we need to get the jobs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-covey/in-school-many-of-us-procrastinate-and-then-successfully-cram-for/) [Stephen Covey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-covey/) > [Man-marking Messi is almost impossible.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/massimiliano-allegri/man-marking-messi-is-almost-impossible/) [Massimiliano Allegri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/massimiliano-allegri/) > [“Since it seems your marking your territory , why don't you go ahead and pee on her while you're at it ? " ~ Cal”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-reed/since-it-seems-your-marking-your-territory-why-don-t-you-go-ahead-and/) [Nicole Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-reed/) > [Here's to my birth marking the last minute you ever had to yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/here-s-to-my-birth-marking-the-last-minute-you-ever-had-to-yourself/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Marking a book is literally an expression of your differences or your agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mortimer-j-adler/marking-a-book-is-literally-an-expression-of-your-differences-or-your/) [Mortimer J. Adler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mortimer-j-adler/) > [Sure, the first light snowfall may be a chance to dance giddily, leaving squeaky footprints through the neighborhood, marking the runner's right to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-kardong/sure-the-first-light-snowfall-may-be-a-chance-to-dance-giddily/) [Don Kardong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-kardong/) > [“coming on you was my way of marking you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-a-valentine/coming-on-you-was-my-way-of-marking-you/) [Michelle A. Valentine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-a-valentine/) > [As a child, during the war, I drew Spitfires and Messerschmitts. With Spot, I found that I had designed a fuselage! His spot is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hill/as-a-child-during-the-war-i-drew-spitfires-and-messerschmitts-with/) [Eric Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hill/) > [Marking a book is literally an experience of your differences or agreements with the author. It is the highest respect you can pay him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/marking-a-book-is-literally-an-experience-of-your-differences-or/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I tend not to pay too much attention to the person marking me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-van-basten/i-tend-not-to-pay-too-much-attention-to-the-person-marking-me/) [Marco van Basten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-van-basten/) > [Everywhere I look, there are ads marking Mother's Day. Mostly they conform to stereotype: flowers, jewelry, perfume. Not a lot of books. Not many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-heffernan/everywhere-i-look-there-are-ads-marking-mother-s-day-mostly-they/) [Margaret Heffernan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-heffernan/) > [“It was simply a marking of time with no meaningful changes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lois-lowry/it-was-simply-a-marking-of-time-with-no-meaningful-changes/) [Lois Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lois-lowry/) > ['Bum's Rush' is a piece about timing, and everything that's in the piece needs to be with the piece. If people are missing, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/twyla-tharp/bum-s-rush-is-a-piece-about-timing-and-everything-that-s-in-the-piece/) [Twyla Tharp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/twyla-tharp/) > [I play with a lot of intensity, and I'm quite strong in man-marking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fabinho/i-play-with-a-lot-of-intensity-and-i-m-quite-strong-in-man-marking/) [Fabinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fabinho/) > [Time marks us while we are marking time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roethke/time-marks-us-while-we-are-marking-time/) [Theodore Roethke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roethke/) ## More by Edwin Land > [We have to keep in practice like musicians. Besides, there are still potentialities to be realized in color film. To us, it's just like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/we-have-to-keep-in-practice-like-musicians-besides-there-are-still/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [It only takes a day to change someone from an anti-intellectual to an intellectual by persuading him that he might be one!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/it-only-takes-a-day-to-change-someone-from-an-anti-intellectual-to-an/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Don't do anything that someone else can do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/don-t-do-anything-that-someone-else-can-do/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The present is the past biting into the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-present-is-the-past-biting-into-the-future/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The world belongs to the articulate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-world-belongs-to-the-articulate/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Why do I want to believe what I believe?... Science, to put it somewhat vulgarly, is a technique to keep yourself from kidding yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/why-do-i-want-to-believe-what-i-believe-science-to-put-it-somewhat/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [Who can object to a monopoly when any new company, if it is built around a scientific nucleus, can create a new monopoly of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/who-can-object-to-a-monopoly-when-any-new-company-if-it-is-built/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I believe that each young person is different from any other who has ever lived, as different as his fingerprints: that he could bring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-that-each-young-person-is-different-from-any-other-who-has/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [There is no such thing as group originality, group creativity or group perspicacity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/there-is-no-such-thing-as-group-originality-group-creativity-or-group/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A significant invention must be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-invention-must-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [I believe quite simply that the small company of the future will be as much a research organization as it is a manufacturing company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/i-believe-quite-simply-that-the-small-company-of-the-future-will-be/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A premature attempt to explain something that thrills you will destroy your perceptivity rather than increase it, because your tendency will be to explain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-premature-attempt-to-explain-something-that-thrills-you-will/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [A significant inventionmust be startling, unexpected. It must come to a world that is not prepared for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/a-significant-inventionmust-be-startling-unexpected-it-must-come-to-a/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The world is like a fertile field that's waiting to be harvested. The seeds have been planted, and what I do is go out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-world-is-like-a-fertile-field-that-s-waiting-to-be-harvested-the/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) > [The most important thing about power is to make sure you don't have to use it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-land/the-most-important-thing-about-power-is-to-make-sure-you-don-t-have/) [Edwin Land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) [Explore all 89 Edwin Land quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-land/) ## More Chance quotes > [Before I debuted, it was my goal to make my debut, and afterwards, I aimed at winning champion titles on television music shows, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hyuna/before-i-debuted-it-was-my-goal-to-make-my-debut-and-afterwards-i/) [Hyuna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hyuna/) > [I understand it's promotion, but no one ever gave me a chance. No one ever thought I'd be the champ, and look where I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stipe-miocic/i-understand-it-s-promotion-but-no-one-ever-gave-me-a-chance-no-one/) [Stipe Miocic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stipe-miocic/) > [I might, by chance, write something just as shoddy; But then I wouldn't show it to everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moliere/i-might-by-chance-write-something-just-as-shoddy-but-then-i-wouldn-t/) [Moliere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moliere/) > [When I get a chance to play golf or go on a boat with good people, take the boat out and put some lobsters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-i-get-a-chance-to-play-golf-or-go-on-a-boat-with-good-people/) [Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I have heard that if you pull a bent breath through the second hole of a harmonica tuned to the key of Georgia while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buddy-wakefield/i-have-heard-that-if-you-pull-a-bent-breath-through-the-second-hole/) [Buddy Wakefield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buddy-wakefield/) > [There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-robbins/there-are-times-when-we-can-feel-destiny-close-around-us-like-a-fist/) [Tom Robbins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-robbins/) > [Pain held no terror for him. Pain was, if not friend, then family, something he had grown up with in his crèche, learning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paolo-bacigalupi/pain-held-no-terror-for-him-pain-was-if-not-friend-then-family/) [Paolo Bacigalupi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paolo-bacigalupi/) > [Love changes people, for better or for worse. You could look at it as a chance for you to change. The best kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-changes-people-for-better-or-for-worse-you-could-look-at-it-as-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“It's not who, it's when”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-taubas/it-s-not-who-it-s-when/) [Alejandro Taubas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-taubas/) > [Childhood is Last Chance Gulch for happiness. After that, you know too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/childhood-is-last-chance-gulch-for-happiness-after-that-you-know-too/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [I thought my first few jobs would just be off, off, off, off, off broadway. 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