--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I am persuaded, that if any attempt is…" description: "\"I am persuaded, that if any attempt is made to improve the education of the poor, and such an unmanly spirit should guide the resolution of a society o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e2/joseph-lancaster-25428_committees_i-am-persuaded-that-if-any-attempt-is-ma_368368.jpg" --- # I am persuaded, that if any attempt is made to improve the… ![“I am persuaded, that if any attempt is made to improve the education of the poor, and such an unmanly spirit should guide the resolution of a society or committee for that purpose, it would render the design abortive.” quote by Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e2/joseph-lancaster-25428_committees_i-am-persuaded-that-if-any-attempt-is-ma_368368.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e2/joseph-lancaster-25428_committees_i-am-persuaded-that-if-any-attempt-is-ma_368368.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9e2/joseph-lancaster-25428_committees_i-am-persuaded-that-if-any-attempt-is-ma_368368.jpg) > “I am persuaded, that if any attempt is made to improve the education of the poor, and such an unmanly spirit should guide the resolution of a society or committee for that purpose, it would render the design abortive.” [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Efforts to improve poor education can be thwarted by misguided, overly aggressive motives, leading to failure. **In simple terms:** Wrong motives ruin education reforms. Key Takeaway Align intentions with humility for effective change. Themes education poverty policy Mood critical analytical Type philosophical policy When to use this quote - government programs - NGO initiatives - community schools Key Concepts social reform ethics Questions to Reflect On - What values should guide education reform? - How can stakeholders ensure humility in decision‑making? A Different Perspective Idealistic plans may ignore practical constraints. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [Resolution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resolution/) [Spirit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spirit/) ## Related quotes > [Education is the poor mans haven and the ignorant mans hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/education-is-the-poor-mans-haven-and-the-ignorant-mans-hell/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [When you live in a poor neighborhood, you are living in an area where you have poor schools. When you have poor schools, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/when-you-live-in-a-poor-neighborhood-you-are-living-in-an-area-where/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [The rich man, when contributing to a permanent plan for the education of the poor, ought to reflect that he is providing for that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-madison/the-rich-man-when-contributing-to-a-permanent-plan-for-the-education/) [James Madison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-madison/) > [ The proper education of poor children \[is\] the ground-work of almost every other kind of charity… Without this foundation firstlaid, how much kindnessis unavoidably… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-sterne/the-proper-education-of-poor-children-is-the-ground-work-of-almost/) [Laurence Sterne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-sterne/) > [Education is the poor ……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/education-is-the-poor/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [If you improve your education system, there's no telling what kind of businesses you'll be able to attract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-berkley/if-you-improve-your-education-system-there-s-no-telling-what-kind-of/) [Shelley Berkley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-berkley/) > [Teachers know how to improve education, but they are a voice that is consistently overlooked or ignored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/teachers-know-how-to-improve-education-but-they-are-a-voice-that-is/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [A large part of the present anxiety to improve the education of girls and women is also due to the conviction that the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-fawcett/a-large-part-of-the-present-anxiety-to-improve-the-education-of-girls/) [Millicent Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-fawcett/) > [To be able to compete, we've got to improve our education system, our litigation environment, our tax code, our health system and our trading…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-rove/to-be-able-to-compete-we-ve-got-to-improve-our-education-system-our/) [Karl Rove](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-rove/) > [Free school meals for all children, no matter what their background, will improve the education and health of our children.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rayner/free-school-meals-for-all-children-no-matter-what-their-background/) [Angela Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rayner/) > [Teachers know how to improve education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/teachers-know-how-to-improve-education/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [If you improve education by teaching for competence, eliminating schooling, and connecting with students, the test scores will improve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-glasser/if-you-improve-education-by-teaching-for-competence-eliminating/) [William Glasser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-glasser/) > [Comprehensive schools, as too few understand, have never been designed to improve education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-hitchens/comprehensive-schools-as-too-few-understand-have-never-been-designed/) [Peter Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-hitchens/) > [Enhancing revenues will help us improve education and solve our infrastructure problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roy-barnes/enhancing-revenues-will-help-us-improve-education-and-solve-our/) [Roy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roy-barnes/) > [I absolutely believe in the power of innovative entrepreneurship on every level. That's why I am exploring ways to improve our education system by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naveen-jain/i-absolutely-believe-in-the-power-of-innovative-entrepreneurship-on/) [Naveen Jain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naveen-jain/) ## More by Joseph Lancaster > [My school is attended by near three hundred scholars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/my-school-is-attended-by-near-three-hundred-scholars/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [All are agreed, that the increase of learning and good morals are great blessings to society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/all-are-agreed-that-the-increase-of-learning-and-good-morals-are/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [When obedience to the Divine precepts keeps pace with knowledge, in the mind of any man, that man is a Christian; and when the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/when-obedience-to-the-divine-precepts-keeps-pace-with-knowledge-in/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [The rich possess ample means to realize any theory they may chuse to adopt in the education of their children, regardless of the cost;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/the-rich-possess-ample-means-to-realize-any-theory-they-may-chuse-to/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [A spirit, breathing the language of independence, is natural to Englishmen, few of whom are disposed to brook compulsion, or submit to the dictates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/a-spirit-breathing-the-language-of-independence-is-natural-to/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [A system of education, which would not gratify this disposition in any party, is requisite, in order to obviate the difficulty, and the reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-lancaster/a-system-of-education-which-would-not-gratify-this-disposition-in-any/) [Joseph Lancaster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-lancaster/) > [I was induced to establish several orders of merit, from conviction that emulation, well directed, becomes a useful servant; 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