--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: And there was some point as a professor…" description: "\"“And there was some point as a professor at Stanford and Harvard when I experienced being caught in some kind of a meaningless game in which the studen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/ram-dass-784_teachers_and-there-was-some-point-as-a-professor_1009350.png" --- # And there was some point as a professor at Stanford and… ![“And there was some point as a professor at Stanford and Harvard when I experienced being caught in some kind of a meaningless game in which the students were exquisite at playing the role of students and the faculty were exquisite at playing the role of faculty. I would get up and say what I had…” quote by Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/ram-dass-784_teachers_and-there-was-some-point-as-a-professor_1009350.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/ram-dass-784_teachers_and-there-was-some-point-as-a-professor_1009350.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/24a/ram-dass-784_teachers_and-there-was-some-point-as-a-professor_1009350.png) > ““And there was some point as a professor at Stanford and Harvard when I experienced being caught in some kind of a meaningless game in which the students were exquisite at playing the role of students and the faculty were exquisite at playing the role of faculty. I would get up and say what I had read in books and they’d all write it down and give it back as answers on exams but nothing was happening. I felt as if I were in a sound-proof room. Not enough was happening that mattered—that was real.”” [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes academic life as a hollow performance, where meaningful learning is replaced by rote repetition and lack of authentic engagement. **In simple terms:** Education can become empty performance. Key Takeaway Seek authentic learning over mere repetition. Themes education meaninglessness authenticity performance Mood contemplative critical Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - lecture halls - study groups - self‑directed learning Key Concepts existential awareness critical thinking pedagogy Questions to Reflect On - How can you bring meaning into routine tasks? - What practices foster genuine understanding? A Different Perspective Institutional structures can stifle true insight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Faculty Exquisite](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faculty-exquisite-2182581/) [Faculty Say](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/faculty-say-1502015/) [Harvard Experienced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvard-experienced-2182578/) [Professor Stanford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/professor-stanford-2182580/) [Stanford Harvard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stanford-harvard-2182579/) [Teachers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) ## Related quotes > [I am a professor at Stanford; I am a happy professor at Stanford. That's where I'm staying.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/condoleezza-rice/i-am-a-professor-at-stanford-i-am-a-happy-professor-at-stanford-that/) [Condoleezza Rice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/condoleezza-rice/) > [“The importance of day-to-day coaching comes to mind when I think of my favorite college teacher. 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Become a soul, look around, and you’ll be amazed-all the beings around you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/souls-love-that-s-what-souls-do-egos-don-t-but-souls-do-become-a-soul/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I would like my life to be a statement of love and compassion--and where it isn't, that's where my work lies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/i-would-like-my-life-to-be-a-statement-of-love-and-compassion-and/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The spiritual journey is individual, highly personal. It can't be organized or regulated. It isn't true that everyone should follow one path. Listen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/the-spiritual-journey-is-individual-highly-personal-it-can-t-be/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The person who says, 'I'm enlightened' probably isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/the-person-who-says-i-m-enlightened-probably-isn-t/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Accidents are just from where you're looking; to the ego, it looks like it's miracles and accidents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/accidents-are-just-from-where-you-re-looking-to-the-ego-it-looks-like/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Fear of death only comes through the brittleness of the ego.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/fear-of-death-only-comes-through-the-brittleness-of-the-ego/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Just because you are seeing divine light, experiencing waves of bliss, or conversing with Gods and Goddesses is no reason to not know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/just-because-you-are-seeing-divine-light-experiencing-waves-of-bliss/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Along with faith comes the requirement for dogged persistence. At first meditation may bring you mild highs or some relief from suffering. But there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/along-with-faith-comes-the-requirement-for-dogged-persistence-at/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I help people as a way to work on myself, and I work on myself to help people ... to me, that's what the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/i-help-people-as-a-way-to-work-on-myself-and-i-work-on-myself-to-help/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [Old age spiritualizes people naturally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/old-age-spiritualizes-people-naturally/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [The ego is a tool. You don't separate it. It's a tool for the spirit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/the-ego-is-a-tool-you-don-t-separate-it-it-s-a-tool-for-the-spirit/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [It's very hard to grow, because it's difficult to let go of the models of ourselves in which we've invested so heavily.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/it-s-very-hard-to-grow-because-it-s-difficult-to-let-go-of-the-models/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [All that you seek is already within you. In Hinduism it is called the Atman, in Buddhism the pure Buddha-Mind. Christ said, 'the kingdom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/all-that-you-seek-is-already-within-you-in-hinduism-it-is-called-the/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) [Explore all 369 Ram Dass quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) ## More Teachers quotes > [No matter how many great things you say about Jacques Pepin, there's always more. 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Kenji Lopez-Alt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-kenji-lopez-alt/) > [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/) > [“Those who can, do; those who can't, teach; those who can't teach, teach the teachers; and those who can't teach the teachers go into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muriel-barbery/those-who-can-do-those-who-can-t-teach-those-who-can-t-teach-teach/) [Muriel Barbery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muriel-barbery/) > [The teacher is of course an artist, but being an artist does not mean that he or she can make the profile, can shape…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-freire/the-teacher-is-of-course-an-artist-but-being-an-artist-does-not-mean/) [Paulo Freire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-freire/) > [Teachers' unions don't act in the interest of most teachers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sal-khan/teachers-unions-don-t-act-in-the-interest-of-most-teachers/) [Sal Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sal-khan/) > [Even though I have this solid career in picture books, I've not only been thinking about kids - because I don't think that much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-small/even-though-i-have-this-solid-career-in-picture-books-i-ve-not-only/) [David Small](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-small/) > [Nothing teaches great writing like the very best books do. Yet, good teachers often help students cross that bridge, and I have to say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-glass/nothing-teaches-great-writing-like-the-very-best-books-do-yet-good/) [Julia Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-glass/) > [I hate when teachers do this :)](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tillu/i-hate-when-teachers-do-this/) [Tillu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tillu/) > [I call myself an educator.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliyahu-goldratt/i-call-myself-an-educator/) [Eliyahu Goldratt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliyahu-goldratt/) > [That education is the most important of all professions is a message the public should hear and understand. And, as importantly, a message that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lowell-milken/that-education-is-the-most-important-of-all-professions-is-a-message/) [Lowell Milken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lowell-milken/) > [Teachers are heroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-best/teachers-are-heroes/) [Charles Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-best/) > [Experiences in order to be educative must lead out into an expanding world of subject matter, a subject matter of facts or information and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dewey/experiences-in-order-to-be-educative-must-lead-out-into-an-expanding/) [John Dewey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-dewey/) > [The chief wonder of education is that it does not ruin everybody concerned in it, teachers and taught.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-adams/the-chief-wonder-of-education-is-that-it-does-not-ruin-everybody/) [Henry Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-adams/) > [“Teachers, you don't teach a subject, you teach a child.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepa-bhushan/teachers-you-don-t-teach-a-subject-you-teach-a-child/) [Deepa Bhushan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepa-bhushan/) > [A lot of energy is lost to false teachers. Wherever dependency is created, energy is lost.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/a-lot-of-energy-is-lost-to-false-teachers-wherever-dependency-is/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) [Browse all 1,979 Teachers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teachers/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“And there was some point as a professor at Stanford and Harvard when I experienced being caught in some kind of a meaningless game in which the students were exquisite at playing the role of students and the faculty were exquisite at playing the role of faculty. I would get up and say what I had read in books and they’d all write it down and give it back as answers on exams but nothing was happening. I felt as if I were in a sound-proof room. 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