--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The world is a severe schoolmaster, for…" description: "\"The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png" --- # The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are… ![“The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of wisdom.” quote by Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png) > “The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of wisdom.” [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Life teaches harsh lessons; smiles can mislead more than frowns. **In simple terms:** Beware deceptive praise. Key Takeaway Critically evaluate flattery and hardship. Themes wisdom perception trust Mood cautious thoughtful Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - education - career - personal relationships Key Concepts literature social critique Questions to Reflect On - When have you mistaken kindness for deceit? - How do you balance caution with openness? A Different Perspective Smiles may mask ulterior motives, leading to complacency. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black history](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-history/) [Difficult task](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-task/) [Difficult tasks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-tasks/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Flattery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flattery/) [Path](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/path/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [The schoolmaster is the person who takes the children off the parents' hands for a consideration. That is to say, he establishes a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/the-schoolmaster-is-the-person-who-takes-the-children-off-the-parents/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [“Because, sir, teaching young gentlemen has a dismal effect upon the soul.It exemplifies the badness of established, artificial authority. The pedagogue has almost absolute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-o-brian/because-sir-teaching-young-gentlemen-has-a-dismal-effect-upon-the/) [Patrick O'Brian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-o-brian/) > [You send your child to the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys who educate him. You send him to the Latin class, but much of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/you-send-your-child-to-the-schoolmaster-but-tis-the-schoolboys-who/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [The average schoolmaster is, and always must be, an ass.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/the-average-schoolmaster-is-and-always-must-be-an-ass/) [H. L. Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-l-mencken/) > [A good, very good, not to say admirable schoolmaster, but then he is only a schoolmaster.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-george/a-good-very-good-not-to-say-admirable-schoolmaster-but-then-he-is/) [Henry George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-george/) > [No man, however strong, can serve ten years as schoolmaster, priest, or Senator, and remain fit for anything else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/no-man-however-strong-can-serve-ten-years-as-schoolmaster-priest-or-2/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“The speaker, and the schoolmaster, and the third grown person present, all backed a little, and swept with their eyes the inclined plane of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-speaker-and-the-schoolmaster-and-the-third-grown-person-present/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I had a schoolmaster who was a supernumerary at Glyndebourne Opera, and through ,I got a job as a walk-on in Peter Hall's production…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mccabe/i-had-a-schoolmaster-who-was-a-supernumerary-at-glyndebourne-opera/) [Richard McCabe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mccabe/) > [One good schoolmaster is of more use than a hundred priests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-paine/one-good-schoolmaster-is-of-more-use-than-a-hundred-priests/) [Thomas Paine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-paine/) > [Poverty is the schoolmaster of character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antiphanes/poverty-is-the-schoolmaster-of-character/) Antiphanes > [One good schoolmaster is worth a thousand priests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/one-good-schoolmaster-is-worth-a-thousand-priests/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“The schoolmaster is termed, classically, Ludi Magister, because he deprives boys of their play.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-schoolmaster-is-termed-classically-ludi-magister-because-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Society is like a schoolmaster who estimates boys according to their conformity to a standard that is easiest for running a school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-sidgwick/society-is-like-a-schoolmaster-who-estimates-boys-according-to-their/) [Henry Sidgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-sidgwick/) > [The grand result of schooling is a mind with just vision to discern, with free force to do: the grand schoolmaster is Practice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/the-grand-result-of-schooling-is-a-mind-with-just-vision-to-discern/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [I pay the schoolmaster, but 'tis the schoolboys that educate my son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/i-pay-the-schoolmaster-but-tis-the-schoolboys-that-educate-my-son/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) ## More by Phillis Wheatley > [May be refined, and join the angelic train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/may-be-refined-and-join-the-angelic-train/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Thou didst, in strains of eloquence refin'd, Inflame the soul, and captivate the mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/thou-didst-in-strains-of-eloquence-refin-d-inflame-the-soul-and/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Through thickest gloom look back, immortal shade, On that confusion which thy death has made.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/through-thickest-gloom-look-back-immortal-shade-on-that-confusion/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Since my return to America my Master, has at the desire of my friends in England given me my freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/since-my-return-to-america-my-master-has-at-the-desire-of-my-friends/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Proceed, great chief, with virtue on thy sideThy every action let the goddess guide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/proceed-great-chief-with-virtue-on-thy-sidethy-every-action-let-the/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [In every human Beast, God has implanted a Principle, which we call Love of Freedom; it is impatient of Oppression, and pants for Deliverance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/in-every-human-beast-god-has-implanted-a-principle-which-we-call-love/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Remember, Christians, Negroes, black as Cain, /May be refin'd and join th' angelic train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/remember-christians-negroes-black-as-cain-may-be-refin-d-and-join-th/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [“Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land, Taught my benighted soul to understand That there's a God, that there's a Savior too: Once…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/twas-mercy-brought-me-from-my-pagan-land-taught-my-benighted-soul-to/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) > [Aurora hail, and all the thousand dies, Which deck thy progress through the vaulted skies: The morn awakes, and wide extends her rays, On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/aurora-hail-and-all-the-thousand-dies-which-deck-thy-progress-through/) [Phillis Wheatley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) [Explore all 10 Phillis Wheatley quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/) ## More Black quotes > [I wanted to write about voodoo tradition that I feel has been very important to survival of black people here: people of the African…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesmyn-ward/i-wanted-to-write-about-voodoo-tradition-that-i-feel-has-been-very/) [Jesmyn Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesmyn-ward/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) > [The vision of the left, full of envy and resentment, takes its worst toll on those at the bottom - whether black or white…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/the-vision-of-the-left-full-of-envy-and-resentment-takes-its-worst/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [When you're scared - and I mean really scared, not just hearing a noise in the night, or standing toe to toe with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-gordon-smith/when-you-re-scared-and-i-mean-really-scared-not-just-hearing-a-noise/) [Alexander Gordon Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-gordon-smith/) > [The term "black metal" has become a lot looser, or can include a larger range of sounds and extra-musical aesthetics, not just Satan and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-marston/the-term-black-metal-has-become-a-lot-looser-or-can-include-a-larger/) [Colin Marston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-marston/) > [How can you be more subject; black woman in a white man's world?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-duffy/how-can-you-be-more-subject-black-woman-in-a-white-man-s-world/) [Maureen Duffy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-duffy/) > [We have to build our own power. We have to win every single political office we can, where we have a majority of black…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fannie-lou-hamer/we-have-to-build-our-own-power-we-have-to-win-every-single-political/) [Fannie Lou Hamer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fannie-lou-hamer/) > [There is only one party in the United States, the Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. Republicans are a bit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gore-vidal/there-is-only-one-party-in-the-united-states-the-property-party-and/) [Gore Vidal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gore-vidal/) > [Black music has always known, and not been afraid to acknowledge just how high the stakes of Black thought are. To summarize the final…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-b-wilderson-iii/black-music-has-always-known-and-not-been-afraid-to-acknowledge-just/) Frank B. Wilderson III > [I know how hard it is to be a woman, especially a black woman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-tyson/i-know-how-hard-it-is-to-be-a-woman-especially-a-black-woman/) [Mike Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-tyson/) > [If soot stains your tunic, dye it black. This is vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-scott-bakker/if-soot-stains-your-tunic-dye-it-black-this-is-vengeance/) [R. Scott Bakker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-scott-bakker/) > [Hollywood is so fixated on keeping it that way because it's generating the buzz, but that representation isn't right. I definitely feel like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-boyega/hollywood-is-so-fixated-on-keeping-it-that-way-because-it-s/) [John Boyega](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-boyega/) > [Nowadays most people wear black most of the time anyway: go to a literary party and one would imagine everyone there was in perpetual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fay-weldon/nowadays-most-people-wear-black-most-of-the-time-anyway-go-to-a/) [Fay Weldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fay-weldon/) > [There ain't no such thing as black Muslims. That's how they tried to cut off all my brothers in the rest of the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhammad-ali/there-ain-t-no-such-thing-as-black-muslims-that-s-how-they-tried-to/) [Muhammad Ali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhammad-ali/) > [We do not want to be reminded that it is we, the indigenous people, who are poor and exploited in the land of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-biko/we-do-not-want-to-be-reminded-that-it-is-we-the-indigenous-people-who/) [Steven Biko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-biko/) Browse all 11,655 Black quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it is a difficult task to keep in the path of wisdom.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Phillis Wheatley" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-its-frowns-are-less-dangerous/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Black" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-its-frowns-are-less-dangerous/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b8/phillis-wheatley-42220_black_the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-i_2211378.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The world is a severe schoolmaster, for its frowns are less dangerous than its smiles and flatteries, and it…” — Phillis Wheatley", "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": "Phillis Wheatley", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phillis-wheatley/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The world is a severe schoolmaster,...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-its-frowns-are-less-dangerous/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phillis-wheatley/the-world-is-a-severe-schoolmaster-for-its-frowns-are-less-dangerous/#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 } } ] } ```