--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the well educated who will improve…" description: "\"“It is the well educated who will improve society—and they will improve it, at first, by criticizing it, and we are giving them the tools to criticize ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png" --- # It is the well educated who will improve society—and they… ![“It is the well educated who will improve society—and they will improve it, at first, by criticizing it, and we are giving them the tools to criticize it. Naturally, as students, the brighter of them will begin their improvements upon society by criticizing us.” To Owen, old Archie Thorndike would…” quote by John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png) > ““It is the well educated who will improve society—and they will improve it, at first, by criticizing it, and we are giving them the tools to criticize it. Naturally, as students, the brighter of them will begin their improvements upon society by criticizing us.” To Owen, old Archie Thorndike would sing a slightly different song: “It is your responsibility to find fault with me, it is mine to hear you out. But don’t expect me to change. I’m not going to change; I’m going to retire! Get the new headmaster to make the changes; that’s when I made changes—when I was new.” “WHAT CHANGES DID YOU MAKE?” Owen Meany asked. “That’s another reason I’m retiring!” old Thorny told Owen amiably. “My memory’s shot!”” [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Highly educated individuals often start by critiquing society, but as they gain authority they may resist change, preferring to retire rather than adapt. **In simple terms:** Educated critics become resistant leaders who avoid change. Key Takeaway Be open to change even when in power. Themes education leadership resistance Mood critical reflective Type analytical cautionary When to use this quote - academic institutions - corporate management - political offices - nonprofits Key Concepts institutional inertia critical thinking generational shift Questions to Reflect On - What prevents leaders from embracing reform? - How can criticism become constructive change? A Different Perspective Critique without action can stagnate progress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Owen Meany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owen-meany/) ## Related quotes > [It is your responsibility to find fault with me, it is mine to hear you out. But don't expect me to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-your-responsibility-to-find-fault-with-me-it-is-mine-to-hear/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“The criminals force society to improve. They weed out the weak, making us strengthen our institutions and networks.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mather/the-criminals-force-society-to-improve-they-weed-out-the-weak-making/) [Matthew Mather](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mather/) > [I believe that if we don't make moves to get people who don't play games to understand them, then the position of video games…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/satoru-iwata/i-believe-that-if-we-don-t-make-moves-to-get-people-who-don-t-play/) [Satoru Iwata](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/satoru-iwata/) > [It is clear that our society can improve only if the next generation is given the chance, through loving and intelligent education, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/it-is-clear-that-our-society-can-improve-only-if-the-next-generation/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [“will tell you what is my overriding perception of the last twenty years: that we are a civilization careening toward a succession of anticlimaxes—toward…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/will-tell-you-what-is-my-overriding-perception-of-the-last-twenty/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“who are always right, and are given to reminding us of it, are irritating; prophets are irritating, and Owen Meany is decidedly a prophet.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/who-are-always-right-and-are-given-to-reminding-us-of-it-are/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“he had seen his share of heroes, too. Major Rawls never knew everything that Owen had known; the major knew only that Owen had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/he-had-seen-his-share-of-heroes-too-major-rawls-never-knew-everything/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is amazing to me, now, how such wild imaginings and philosophies - inspired by a night charged with frights and calamities - made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-amazing-to-me-now-how-such-wild-imaginings-and-philosophies/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“But the penultimate paragraph of the novel is naturally the passage I wrote first. “When we held Owen Meany above our heads, when we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/but-the-penultimate-paragraph-of-the-novel-is-naturally-the-passage-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“while we waited to see what God would do. I heard a tear fall—it was one of my grandmother’s tears, and I heard it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/while-we-waited-to-see-what-god-would-do-i-heard-a-tear-fall-it-was/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Of course I knew then where Hester had hidden Owen Meany; he’d been under the couch cushions—and under her!—all the while we were searching.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/of-course-i-knew-then-where-hester-had-hidden-owen-meany-he-d-been/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I think that was when the headmaster realized he had lost; he realized then that he was finished. Because, what could he do? Was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-think-that-was-when-the-headmaster-realized-he-had-lost-he-realized/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [In a sensibly organised society, if you improve productivity, there is room for everybody to benefit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geoffrey-hinton/in-a-sensibly-organised-society-if-you-improve-productivity-there-is/) [Geoffrey Hinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geoffrey-hinton/) ## More by John Irving > [Your memory is a monster; you forget - it doesn't. It simply files things away. It keeps things for you, or hides things from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/your-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-doesn-t-it-simply-files-things/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Our memory is a monster; you forget it - it does not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/our-memory-is-a-monster-you-forget-it-it-does-not/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [… and so he tried to accept the ache in his heart as what Dr. Larch would call the common symptoms of normal life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/and-so-he-tried-to-accept-the-ache-in-his-heart-as-what-dr-larch/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean––make sure they know what they mean!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/watch-out-for-people-who-call-themselves-religious-make-sure-you-know/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [The desire to never leave your side, the desire to never see you again. The desire to see your face asleep on the pillow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/the-desire-to-never-leave-your-side-the-desire-to-never-see-you-again/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [I had been a student in Vienna, and one of the neat little things I had found out was about that zoo. It was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-had-been-a-student-in-vienna-and-one-of-the-neat-little-things-i/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“God, I think I just hit a high E-flat - and I really held it!" Esmeralda said, after one of her more prolonged orgasms,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/god-i-think-i-just-hit-a-high-e-flat-and-i-really-held-it-esmeralda/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Nostalgia!" Miss Frost cried. "You´re nostalgic!" She repeated. "Just how old are you, William?" She asked. "Seventeen, " I told her. "Seventeen!" Miss Frost…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/nostalgia-miss-frost-cried-you-re-nostalgic-she-repeated-just-how-old/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [ “JUST BECAUSE A BUNCH OF ATHEISTS ARE BETTER WRITERS THAN THE GUYS WHO WROTE THE BIBLE DOESN'T NECESSARILY MAKE THEM RIGHT!" \[Owen Meany\] said… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/just-because-a-bunch-of-atheists-are-better-writers-than-the-guys-who/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-much-easier-to-be-flexible-about-where-a-story-begins-than-it/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Only the chicken-lover will understand me. He will give me a kindly look, maybe mildly desirous. His eyes will tell me: You might look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/only-the-chicken-lover-will-understand-me-he-will-give-me-a-kindly/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [You're nice,' Cushie told him, squeezing his hand. 'And you're my oldest friend.' But they both must have known that you can know someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/you-re-nice-cushie-told-him-squeezing-his-hand-and-you-re-my-oldest/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Because of A Prayer for Owen Meany, many of my readers assume I am “religious.” I go to church only occasionally—like a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/because-of-a-prayer-for-owen-meany-many-of-my-readers-assume-i-am/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“Did anyone who was in love and was unsatisfied with how he was loved in return ever feel saved?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/did-anyone-who-was-in-love-and-was-unsatisfied-with-how-he-was-loved/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) > [“I TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP ME, BECAUSE WHAT I’M SUPPOSED TO DO LOOKS VERY HARD.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/i-trust-that-god-will-help-me-because-what-i-m-supposed-to-do-looks/) [John Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) [Explore all 641 John Irving quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/) ## 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": "“It is the well educated who will improve society—and they will improve it, at first, by criticizing it, and we are giving them the tools to criticize it. Naturally, as students, the brighter of them will begin their improvements upon society by criticizing us.” To Owen, old Archie Thorndike would sing a slightly different song: “It is your responsibility to find fault with me, it is mine to hear you out. But don’t expect me to change. I’m not going to change; I’m going to retire! Get the new headmaster to make the changes; that’s when I made changes—when I was new.” “WHAT CHANGES DID YOU MAKE?” Owen Meany asked. “That’s another reason I’m retiring!” old Thorny told Owen amiably. “My memory’s shot!”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John Irving" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve-society-and-they-will/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Education" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve-society-and-they-will/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/38d/john-irving-337_education_it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve_3094581.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the well educated who will improve society—and they will improve it, at first, by criticizing it, and…” — John Irving", "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": "John Irving", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-irving/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“It is the well educated who...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve-society-and-they-will/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-irving/it-is-the-well-educated-who-will-improve-society-and-they-will/#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 } } ] } ```