--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do not know what education can do for…" description: "\"We do not know what education can do for us, because we have never tried it.\" — Robert M. Hutchins" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/robert-m-hutchins-15892_can-do_we-do-not-know-what-education-can-do-for_2639064.png" --- # We do not know what education can do for us, because we… ![“We do not know what education can do for us, because we have never tried it.” quote by Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/robert-m-hutchins-15892_can-do_we-do-not-know-what-education-can-do-for_2639064.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/robert-m-hutchins-15892_can-do_we-do-not-know-what-education-can-do-for_2639064.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7db/robert-m-hutchins-15892_can-do_we-do-not-know-what-education-can-do-for_2639064.png) > “We do not know what education can do for us, because we have never tried it.” [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests education’s potential is unknown because it’s untested. **In simple terms:** Education’s impact unknown without experimentation. Key Takeaway Experiment with learning methods. Themes education potential experimentation Mood thought‑provoking analytical Type inspirational critical When to use this quote - Curriculum redesign - personal learning plans - policy reform Key Concepts Pedagogy innovation philosophy Questions to Reflect On - How can we test educational ideas? - What risks accompany experimentation? A Different Perspective Results may vary widely. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Can do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Education Tried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education-tried-991381/) [Know](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know/) [Know Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-education-1540564/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Tried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tried/) ## Related quotes > [I can prove at any time that my education tried to make another person out of me than the one I became. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-kafka/i-can-prove-at-any-time-that-my-education-tried-to-make-another/) [Franz Kafka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-kafka/) > [Compensatory education has been tried and it apparently has failed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-jensen/compensatory-education-has-been-tried-and-it-apparently-has-failed/) [Arthur Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-jensen/) > [You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-f-kerry/you-know-education-if-you-make-the-most-of-it-you-study-hard-you-do/) [John F. Kerry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-f-kerry/) > [Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/sixty-years-ago-i-knew-everything-now-i-know-nothing-education-is-a-2/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [You didn't understand or care to know, you get your education from your lovers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madonna-ciccone/you-didn-t-understand-or-care-to-know-you-get-your-education-from/) [Madonna Ciccone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madonna-ciccone/) > [I'm all for education. Education ideally happens every moment of the day for people. Education is something that should never stop. The Limbaugh Institute,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-all-for-education-education-ideally-happens-every-moment-of-the/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Education does not take place when you learn something you did not know before. Education is your ability to use what you have learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iyanla-vanzant/education-does-not-take-place-when-you-learn-something-you-did-not/) [Iyanla Vanzant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iyanla-vanzant/) > [Sixty years ago I knew everything; now I know nothing; education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance. We teach more by what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-durant/sixty-years-ago-i-knew-everything-now-i-know-nothing-education-is-a/) [Will Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-durant/) > [They're all so highly educated, you know. Education is a great shield against experience. It offers so much, ready-made and all from the best…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robertson-davies/they-re-all-so-highly-educated-you-know-education-is-a-great-shield/) [Robertson Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robertson-davies/) > [We know that education is the key to unlocking human potential.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-biden/we-know-that-education-is-the-key-to-unlocking-human-potential/) [Jill Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-biden/) > [All practical teachers know that education is a patient process of mastery of details, minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/all-practical-teachers-know-that-education-is-a-patient-process-of/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [“I know nothing about education except this: that the greatest and the most important difficulty known to human learning seems to lie in that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/i-know-nothing-about-education-except-this-that-the-greatest-and-the/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [My parents always told us, you know, you have to get your education. You're not supposed to become a statistic.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/venus-williams/my-parents-always-told-us-you-know-you-have-to-get-your-education-you/) [Venus Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/venus-williams/) > [“Education is Education.The "3 steps" to succed is "belive in God,belive in your self and work hard…...We know that Education is the brain of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jaylo/education-is-education-the-3-steps-to-succed-is-belive-in-god-belive/) [Ashley Jaylo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jaylo/) > [Some of the Tories say, 'She left school at 16, she doesn't have a university degree, what does she know about education?' I say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rayner/some-of-the-tories-say-she-left-school-at-16-she-doesn-t-have-a/) [Angela Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rayner/) ## More by Robert M. Hutchins > [...the fullest development of the highest powers of men can be achieved only in a world of peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-fullest-development-of-the-highest-powers-of-men-can-be-achieved/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The college graduate is presented with a sheepskin to cover his intellectual nakedness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-college-graduate-is-presented-with-a-sheepskin-to-cover-his/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The three major administrative problems on a campus are sex for the students, athletics for the alumni, and parking for the faculty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-three-major-administrative-problems-on-a-campus-are-sex-for-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [“To put an end to the spirit of inquiry that has characterized the West it is not necessary to burn the books. All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/to-put-an-end-to-the-spirit-of-inquiry-that-has-characterized-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When I feel like exercising I just lie down until the feeling goes away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-i-feel-like-exercising-i-just-lie-down-until-the-feeling-goes/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The death of democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference, and undernourishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-death-of-democracy-is-not-likely-to-be-an-assassination-from/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [For those who are going to learn from books, learning the art of reading would seem to be indispensable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/for-those-who-are-going-to-learn-from-books-learning-the-art-of/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Nobody can read Freud without realizing that he was the scientific equivalent of another nuisance, George Bernard Shaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/nobody-can-read-freud-without-realizing-that-he-was-the-scientific/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Mathematics ... is indispensable as an intellectual technique. In many subjects, to think at all is to think like a mathematician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/mathematics-is-indispensable-as-an-intellectual-technique-in-many/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [There is only one justification for universities, as distinguished from trade schools. They must be centers of criticism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/there-is-only-one-justification-for-universities-as-distinguished/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [When we listen to the radio, look at television and read the newspapers we wonder whether universal education has been the great boon that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/when-we-listen-to-the-radio-look-at-television-and-read-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/it-is-not-so-important-to-be-serious-as-it-is-to-be-serious-about-the/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Whether four years of strenuous attention to football and fraternities is the best preparation for professional work has never been seriously investigated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/whether-four-years-of-strenuous-attention-to-football-and/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [The policy of the repression of ideas cannot work and never has worked. The alternative to it is the long difficult road of education.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/the-policy-of-the-repression-of-ideas-cannot-work-and-never-has/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) > [Education is not to reform students or amuse them or to make them expert technicians. It is to unsettle their minds, widen their horizons,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-m-hutchins/education-is-not-to-reform-students-or-amuse-them-or-to-make-them/) [Robert M. Hutchins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) [Explore all 41 Robert M. Hutchins quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-m-hutchins/) ## More Can do quotes > [Changes before your eyes, things you can do and things you can't. My attitude is always let it keep rolling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terrence-malick/changes-before-your-eyes-things-you-can-do-and-things-you-can-t-my/) [Terrence Malick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terrence-malick/) > [The happy medium is television. And if you find a good suitor, you can do it for years. With movies, you roll the dice.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-campbell/the-happy-medium-is-television-and-if-you-find-a-good-suitor-you-can/) [Bruce Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-campbell/) > [If I had a million dollars, I just wouldn't just completely set back. I'd have to get out there and show my face to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muddy-waters/if-i-had-a-million-dollars-i-just-wouldn-t-just-completely-set-back-i/) [Muddy Waters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muddy-waters/) > [Anybody can be Prince Charming one day a year, with the dinner and the flowers and all that. But you know what impresses me?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-howard/anybody-can-be-prince-charming-one-day-a-year-with-the-dinner-and-the/) [Ryan Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-howard/) > [And if the mind thinks with a believing attitude one can do amazing things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/and-if-the-mind-thinks-with-a-believing-attitude-one-can-do-amazing/) [Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/) > [The amount of things you can do with a kettlebell is unsurpassed by any other training equipment - dumbbells, resistance machines, free weights.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laird-hamilton/the-amount-of-things-you-can-do-with-a-kettlebell-is-unsurpassed-by/) [Laird Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laird-hamilton/) > [It's nice when you've done enough movies that you can do your own anthology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-lithgow/it-s-nice-when-you-ve-done-enough-movies-that-you-can-do-your-own/) [John Lithgow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-lithgow/) > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The one thing that flies in the face of all human history and experience, is that the government can do a superior job than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cook/the-one-thing-that-flies-in-the-face-of-all-human-history-and/) [James Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cook/) > [...what I can do is offer myself, wholehearted and present, to walk with the people I love through the fear and the mess. That's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shauna-niequist/what-i-can-do-is-offer-myself-wholehearted-and-present-to-walk-with/) [Shauna Niequist](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shauna-niequist/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [The average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-bender/the-average-ordinary-citizen-can-do-a-lot-of-different-things-when-it/) [Lawrence Bender](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-bender/) > [A professional is a man who can do his job when he doesn't feel like it. An amateur is a man who can't do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-agate/a-professional-is-a-man-who-can-do-his-job-when-he-doesn-t-feel-like/) [James Agate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-agate/) > [The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, as it pleases him, for he can do all things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/the-lord-gives-and-the-lord-takes-away-as-it-pleases-him-for-he-can/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) > [I'm not an educated man. I only know what I'm told, and I'm not told that much; I have no frame of reference for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-m-not-an-educated-man-i-only-know-what-i-m-told-and-i-m-not-told/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) [Browse all 5,673 Can do quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/can-do/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We do not know what education can do for us, because we have never tried it.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Robert M. 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