---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Today our society places great emphasis…"
description: "\"“Today our society places great emphasis on specialization and focus. Students used to go off to university with the idea of broadening themselves; now..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg"
---

#  Today our society places great emphasis on specialization…

![“Today our society places great emphasis on specialization and focus. Students used to go off to university with the idea of broadening themselves; now it has become a mostly vocational experience. Students use higher education as a means to develop a skill that will make them attractive to…” quote by Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg)

> ““Today our society places great emphasis on specialization and focus. Students used to go off to university with the idea of broadening themselves; now it has become a mostly vocational experience. Students use higher education as a means to develop a skill that will make them attractive to employers. We place so much emphasis on being good at what we do that we fail to realize that getting better at what we do might be best achieved by getting better at other—and wildly different— things.””

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

## About This Quote

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

Over‑specialization limits adaptability; breadth fosters innovation and problem solving

**In simple terms:** Broad skills enable better problem solving

Key Takeaway

Cultivate diverse skills beyond your specialty

Themes

education specialization innovation

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical inspirational

When to use this quote

- career development
- academic curriculum
- personal growth
- entrepreneurship

Key Concepts

interdisciplinary learning cognitive flexibility

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance depth and breadth?
- What unexpected skills could enhance your expertise?

A Different Perspective

Broad focus may dilute depth in a core area

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Getting better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/getting-better/) [Higher Ed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-ed/) [Higher education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/higher-education/)

## Related quotes

> [“Students are encouraged to connect with others, and to collaborate and create with them on a global scale. It’s not “do your own work,”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-richardson/students-are-encouraged-to-connect-with-others-and-to-collaborate-and/)

[Will Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-richardson/)

> [To think of education as a means of preserving institutions however excellent, is to have a superficial notion of its end and purpose, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lancaster-spalding/to-think-of-education-as-a-means-of-preserving-institutions-however/)

[John Lancaster Spalding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lancaster-spalding/)

> [ Most \[people\] see education only as the means by which a person is transported from one economic plane to a higher one. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-m-weaver/most-people-see-education-only-as-the-means-by-which-a-person-is/)

[Richard M. Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-m-weaver/)

> [This new England we have invented for ourselves is not interested at all in education. It is only interested in training, both material and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-fry/this-new-england-we-have-invented-for-ourselves-is-not-interested-at/)

[Stephen Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-fry/)

> [To be getting an education means this: to be learning what is your own, and what is not your own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/to-be-getting-an-education-means-this-to-be-learning-what-is-your-own/)

[Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/)

> [Since education is not a means to living, but is identical with the operation of living a life which is fruitful and inherently significant,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/since-education-is-not-a-means-to-living-but-is-identical-with-the/)

[John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/)

> [Education means to bring out wisdom. Indoctrination means to push in knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-gregory/education-means-to-bring-out-wisdom-indoctrination-means-to-push-in/)

[Dick Gregory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-gregory/)

> [A democratic education means that we educate people in a way that ensures they can think independently, that they can use information, knowledge, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-darling-hammond/a-democratic-education-means-that-we-educate-people-in-a-way-that/)

[Linda Darling-Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-darling-hammond/)

> [There is a myth that the purpose of education is to give one the means for upward mobility and success. The plain truth is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-w-orr/there-is-a-myth-that-the-purpose-of-education-is-to-give-one-the/)

[David W. Orr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-w-orr/)

> [In the end, excellence in education means excellence in teaching, and if this country would give the status to first grade teachers that we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-l-boyer/in-the-end-excellence-in-education-means-excellence-in-teaching-and/)

[Ernest L. Boyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-l-boyer/)

> [For me, education means to inspire people to live more abundantly, to learn to begin with life as they find it and make it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carter-g-woodson/for-me-education-means-to-inspire-people-to-live-more-abundantly-to/)

[Carter G. Woodson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carter-g-woodson/)

> [“Education means to keep brain alive.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-poison-king-2/education-means-to-keep-brain-alive/)

Dr poison king

> [“Education means inspiring someone's mind, not just filling their head.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-lusk/education-means-inspiring-someone-s-mind-not-just-filling-their-head/)

Katie Lusk

> [Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-us-think-of-education-as-the-means-of-developing-our-greatest/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Education, for most people, means trying to lead the child to resemble the typical adult of his society . . . but for me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-piaget/education-for-most-people-means-trying-to-lead-the-child-to-resemble/)

[Jean Piaget](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-piaget/)

## More by Garry Kasparov

> [It's interesting that the greatest minds of computer science, the founding fathers, like Alan Turing and Claude Shannon and Norbert Wiener, they all looked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/it-s-interesting-that-the-greatest-minds-of-computer-science-the/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [If you don't take risks, you don't drink champagne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/if-you-don-t-take-risks-you-don-t-drink-champagne/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Karabakh conflict has a strong influence on the political climate both in Azerbaijan and Armenia. It is obvious, too, that the Azerbaijani leadership can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/karabakh-conflict-has-a-strong-influence-on-the-political-climate/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [When your house is on fire, you cant be bothered with the neighbors. Or, as we say in Chess, if your King is under…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/when-your-house-is-on-fire-you-cant-be-bothered-with-the-neighbors-or/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [I would say, you have a unique chance of learning more about the game of chess with your computer than Bobby Fischer, or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-would-say-you-have-a-unique-chance-of-learning-more-about-the-game/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [I think Russians today have a distorted picture of capitalism, liberal democracy and market economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-think-russians-today-have-a-distorted-picture-of-capitalism-liberal/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [I'm not paranoid, but I am cautious. I don't drink tea with strangers, I don't fly Aeroflot and I avoid certain countries with close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/i-m-not-paranoid-but-i-am-cautious-i-don-t-drink-tea-with-strangers-i/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [My opponent is Short and the match will be short.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/my-opponent-is-short-and-the-match-will-be-short/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Russian Parliament today is a bunch of puppets that just fall in with the instructions from Kremlin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/russian-parliament-today-is-a-bunch-of-puppets-that-just-fall-in-with/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Barack Obama took over after Vladimir Putin's first aggression, in Georgia. In 2009, he did the reset policy because they had these stupid ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/barack-obama-took-over-after-vladimir-putin-s-first-aggression-in/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Inevitably the machines must win, but there is still a long way to go before a human on his or her best day is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/inevitably-the-machines-must-win-but-there-is-still-a-long-way-to-go/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [In my opinion, using different kinds of epithets and adjectives in connection with the word democracy is a sign of mere hypocrisy, to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/in-my-opinion-using-different-kinds-of-epithets-and-adjectives-in/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Chess strength in general and chess strength in a specific match are by no means one and the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/chess-strength-in-general-and-chess-strength-in-a-specific-match-are/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [Ratings are king and the money keeps flowing, and partisanship is so strong today that people rely on a few sources absolutely instead of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/ratings-are-king-and-the-money-keeps-flowing-and-partisanship-is-so/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

> [ At a certain point, the atmosphere in the West could change. But I don't see determined political will \[for that\] at the moment. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/at-a-certain-point-the-atmosphere-in-the-west-could-change-but-i-don/)

[Garry Kasparov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

[Explore all 331 Garry Kasparov quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/)

## 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. Otherwise the world would be full of millionaires…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mwanandeke-kindembo/in-school-you-are-taught-to-obey-and-not-to-think-straight-for-your/)

[Mwanandeke Kindembo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mwanandeke-kindembo/)

> [For successful education there must always be a certain freshness in the knowledge dealt with. It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/)

[Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/)

> [Where I grew up, learning was a collective activity. 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": "“Today our society places great emphasis on specialization and focus. Students used to go off to university with the idea of broadening themselves; now it has become a mostly vocational experience. Students use higher education as a means to develop a skill that will make them attractive to employers. We place so much emphasis on being good at what we do that we fail to realize that getting better at what we do might be best achieved by getting better at other—and wildly different— things.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Garry Kasparov"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/today-our-society-places-great-emphasis-on-specialization-and-focus/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Education"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/today-our-society-places-great-emphasis-on-specialization-and-focus/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4ac/garry-kasparov-910_education_today-our-society-places-great-emphasis_2200717.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Today our society places great emphasis on specialization and focus. Students used to go off to university…” — Garry Kasparov",
                "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": "Garry Kasparov",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/garry-kasparov/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Today our society places great emphasis...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/today-our-society-places-great-emphasis-on-specialization-and-focus/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/garry-kasparov/today-our-society-places-great-emphasis-on-specialization-and-focus/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
