--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Placing the burden on the individual to…" description: "\"Placing the burden on the individual to break down doors in finding better education for a child is attractive to conservatives because it reaffirms th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/jonathan-kozol-2747_ambition_placing-the-burden-on-the-individual-to_2152640.png" --- # Placing the burden on the individual to break down doors… ![“Placing the burden on the individual to break down doors in finding better education for a child is attractive to conservatives because it reaffirms their faith in individual ambition and autonomy. But to ask an individual to break down doors that we have chained and bolted in advance of his…” quote by Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/jonathan-kozol-2747_ambition_placing-the-burden-on-the-individual-to_2152640.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/jonathan-kozol-2747_ambition_placing-the-burden-on-the-individual-to_2152640.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cca/jonathan-kozol-2747_ambition_placing-the-burden-on-the-individual-to_2152640.png) > “Placing the burden on the individual to break down doors in finding better education for a child is attractive to conservatives because it reaffirms their faith in individual ambition and autonomy. But to ask an individual to break down doors that we have chained and bolted in advance of his arrival is unfair.” [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote criticizes blaming individuals for systemic barriers in education, highlighting the unfairness of expecting people to overcome pre‑existing obstacles. **In simple terms:** Blaming individuals for systemic problems is unjust. Key Takeaway Recognize and address structural barriers. Themes education inequality individualism policy justice Mood critical concerned Type analytical advocacy When to use this quote - school reform - parental advocacy - policy making - community support Key Concepts systemic oppression social responsibility equity Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance personal effort with systemic change? - What structures need reform to enable true opportunity? A Different Perspective It may overlook personal agency and resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ambition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) [Attractive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attractive/) [Autonomy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/autonomy/) [Better Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-education/) [Break](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break/) [Break Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/break-doors-760140/) [Breaking down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaking-down/) [Burden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden/) [Burden Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/burden-individual-4533100/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Conservatives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives/) [Conservatives Reaffirms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conservatives-reaffirms-4533099/) [Doors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doors/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Findings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/findings/) [Individual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individual/) [Unfair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfair/) ## Related quotes > [When I watched Ellen come out in '97, my jaw was on the floor. I thought, There are some people who break the doors…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/when-i-watched-ellen-come-out-in-97-my-jaw-was-on-the-floor-i-thought/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [Fact of our life: Whenever we find the key 2 success, Some idiots change the lock.. So, 4get the key.. Learn to break the doors..!! .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babloo/fact-of-our-life-whenever-we-find-the-key-2-success-some-idiots/) [Babloo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babloo/) > [I'm going to Congress to break down the doors of power.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zephyr-teachout/i-m-going-to-congress-to-break-down-the-doors-of-power/) [Zephyr Teachout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zephyr-teachout/) > [I don't really think about male and female; if something's right for me, it's right for me, and it doesn't matter what it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/i-don-t-really-think-about-male-and-female-if-something-s-right-for/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [If our society was a lot wealthier, I think we'd also probably have better education systems - this is pretty intuitive, I think, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lonsdale/if-our-society-was-a-lot-wealthier-i-think-we-d-also-probably-have/) [Joe Lonsdale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lonsdale/) > [Please, don't torture me with cliches. If you're going to try to intimidate me, have the courtesy to go away for a while, acquire…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-koontz/please-don-t-torture-me-with-cliches-if-you-re-going-to-try-to/) [Dean Koontz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-koontz/) > [There were no good schools in my village. So my family moved so that my siblings and I would get a better education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmal-purja/there-were-no-good-schools-in-my-village-so-my-family-moved-so-that/) [Nirmal Purja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmal-purja/) > [Canadians would not tolerate it if they really knew there was a whole generation of aboriginal Canadians who have a chance at a better…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-martin/canadians-would-not-tolerate-it-if-they-really-knew-there-was-a-whole/) [Paul Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-martin/) > [We know that when students learn in a diverse student body, they get a better education. Everyone benefits from that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-cardona/we-know-that-when-students-learn-in-a-diverse-student-body-they-get-a/) [Miguel Cardona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-cardona/) > [“The objection to propaganda is not only its appeal to unreason, but still more the unfair advantage which it gives to the rich and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/the-objection-to-propaganda-is-not-only-its-appeal-to-unreason-but/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [I had no education whatsoever, and my mother said, 'Oh, you'll get a much better education in life.' I did to some extent, though…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-andrews/i-had-no-education-whatsoever-and-my-mother-said-oh-you-ll-get-a-much/) [Julie Andrews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-andrews/) > [“not because the moral law enjoins unselfishness, but because, given the society in which they live, it is the way in which their impulses…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/not-because-the-moral-law-enjoins-unselfishness-but-because-given-the/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [There is no better education than rap battling in terms of performance. It makes you fearless.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doc-brown/there-is-no-better-education-than-rap-battling-in-terms-of/) [Doc Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doc-brown/) > [You can't get a better education in what it is to write songs until you listen to American soul music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roisin-murphy/you-can-t-get-a-better-education-in-what-it-is-to-write-songs-until/) [Roisin Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roisin-murphy/) > [By hook or by crook, we're going to make sure that when I leave this office, that the country is more prosperous, more people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/by-hook-or-by-crook-we-re-going-to-make-sure-that-when-i-leave-this/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Jonathan Kozol > [Political struggle is the most important thing any of us can do as a citizen in a democracy; and that means the old joining…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/political-struggle-is-the-most-important-thing-any-of-us-can-do-as-a/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The future teachers I try to recruit are those show have refused to let themselves be neutered in this way, either in their private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-future-teachers-i-try-to-recruit-are-those-show-have-refused-to/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Separate and unequal didn't work 100 years ago. It will not work today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/separate-and-unequal-didn-t-work-100-years-ago-it-will-not-work-today/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“Unless we have the wealth to pay for private education, we are compelled by law to go to public school—and to the public school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/unless-we-have-the-wealth-to-pay-for-private-education-we-are/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [At present, black children are more segregated in their public schools than at any time since 1968. In the inner-city schools I visit, minority…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/at-present-black-children-are-more-segregated-in-their-public-schools/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [“I want to correct something I told you once,' she says. 'You asked me once if I thought white people wish that Puerto Rican…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/i-want-to-correct-something-i-told-you-once-she-says-you-asked-me/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Let's concede that we have decided to let our children grow up in two separate nations, and lead two separate kinds of lives. If,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/let-s-concede-that-we-have-decided-to-let-our-children-grow-up-in-two/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [When I was young, I was religious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/when-i-was-young-i-was-religious/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Our political establishment refuses to use the word 'segregated.' They call the schools diverse, which means half black, half Hispanic, and maybe two white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/our-political-establishment-refuses-to-use-the-word-segregated-they/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > ['Savage Inequalities' was about school finance, and 'Amazing Grace' primarily dealt with medical and social injustices in New York. But with 'Ordinary Resurrections,' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/savage-inequalities-was-about-school-finance-and-amazing-grace/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [Discrimination is alive and soaring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/discrimination-is-alive-and-soaring/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [If you could lead through testing, the U.S. would lead the world in all education categories. When are people going to understand you don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/if-you-could-lead-through-testing-the-u-s-would-lead-the-world-in-all/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [No Child Left Behind widens the gap between the races more than any piece of educational legislation I've seen in 40 years. It denies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/no-child-left-behind-widens-the-gap-between-the-races-more-than-any/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [An awful lot of people come to college with this strange idea that there's no longer segregation in America's schools, that our schools are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/an-awful-lot-of-people-come-to-college-with-this-strange-idea-that/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) > [The answers I remember longest are the ones that answer questions that I didn't think of asking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-kozol/the-answers-i-remember-longest-are-the-ones-that-answer-questions/) [Jonathan Kozol](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) [Explore all 151 Jonathan Kozol quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-kozol/) ## More Ambition quotes > [Ambition drives you on, ability certainly helps, but the fickle finger of fate and luck are great things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fergus-henderson/ambition-drives-you-on-ability-certainly-helps-but-the-fickle-finger/) [Fergus Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fergus-henderson/) > [One needs more than ambition and talent to make a success of anything, really. There must be love and a vocation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessye-norman/one-needs-more-than-ambition-and-talent-to-make-a-success-of-anything/) [Jessye Norman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessye-norman/) > [I just think my own ambition would not allow me to sit on the gifts that my creator had given me. And so that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-monae/i-just-think-my-own-ambition-would-not-allow-me-to-sit-on-the-gifts/) [Janelle Monae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-monae/) > [A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/a-man-s-worth-is-no-greater-than-the-worth-of-his-ambitions/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I'm hungry and ambitious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julen-lopetegui/i-m-hungry-and-ambitious/) [Julen Lopetegui](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julen-lopetegui/) > [“I was ambitious and desperate to direct my first film, so I capitulated and blew it. Never again. Never fucking again.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/i-was-ambitious-and-desperate-to-direct-my-first-film-so-i/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [I was always attracted most to joining City, and I am pleased to be at such a good club with such a big ambition…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edin-dzeko/i-was-always-attracted-most-to-joining-city-and-i-am-pleased-to-be-at/) [Edin Dzeko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edin-dzeko/) > [Work towards your goal and dont watch the post size,its either they hate,or like you.there is no room for both sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaac-buabeng/work-towards-your-goal-and-dont-watch-the-post-size-its-either-they/) [Isaac Buabeng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaac-buabeng/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I almost never have a plan for myself... I'm not ambitious in that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martha-plimpton/i-almost-never-have-a-plan-for-myself-i-m-not-ambitious-in-that-way/) [Martha Plimpton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martha-plimpton/) > [I play for high stakes and given an audience - there is no act too daring or too noble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-play-for-high-stakes-and-given-an-audience-there-is-no-act-too/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [There's nothing worse than a leader who lacks ambition.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-nothing-worse-than-a-leader-who-lacks-ambition/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If i can't even protect my captain's dream, then whatever ambition i have is nothing but talk..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zoro/if-i-can-t-even-protect-my-captain-s-dream-then-whatever-ambition-i/) [Zoro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zoro/) > [It may seem unattainable but if you put actions, your heart and your mind into it, you will prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/london-mond/it-may-seem-unattainable-but-if-you-put-actions-your-heart-and-your/) [London Mond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/london-mond/) > [Obligation is what's leading us to toward successful, and what keeps us moving towards the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wazim-shaw/obligation-is-what-s-leading-us-to-toward-successful-and-what-keeps/) [Wazim Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wazim-shaw/) [Browse all 4,601 Ambition quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ambition/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Placing the burden on the individual to break down doors in finding better education for a child is attractive to conservatives because it reaffirms their faith in individual ambition and autonomy. 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