--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: but in public school i learned that it…" description: "\"“but in public school i learned that it was not only natural but desirable that i should make my own decisions. it was not a matter of cultural backgro..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png" --- # but in public school i learned that it was not only… ![“but in public school i learned that it was not only natural but desirable that i should make my own decisions. it was not a matter of cultural background or personality or abilities; it was simply what was true and right” quote by Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png) > ““but in public school i learned that it was not only natural but desirable that i should make my own decisions. it was not a matter of cultural background or personality or abilities; it was simply what was true and right”” [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. True autonomy arises from personal values, not external labels or abilities. **In simple terms:** Decisions should reflect personal truth. Key Takeaway Make choices based on inner convictions. Themes autonomy identity decision‑making Mood thoughtful empowering Type philosophical reflective When to use this quote - career planning - education choices - relationship decisions - personal growth Key Concepts psychology philosophy Questions to Reflect On - What core values guide your choices? - How do you differentiate desire from necessity? A Different Perspective External pressures can still influence perceived autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Public school](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) ## Related quotes > [Most discussions of decision making assume that only senior executives make decisions or that only senior executives' decisions matter. This is a dangerous mistake.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-drucker/most-discussions-of-decision-making-assume-that-only-senior/) [Peter Drucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-drucker/) > [I'm from East Sheen, I went to public school where I learned Latin at the age of nine, and certain expectations were made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-hardy/i-m-from-east-sheen-i-went-to-public-school-where-i-learned-latin-at/) [Tom Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-hardy/) > [At first I threw my weight upon my heels, as one does naturally in a boot, and was a good deal bruised, but after…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-millington-synge/at-first-i-threw-my-weight-upon-my-heels-as-one-does-naturally-in-a/) [John Millington Synge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-millington-synge/) > [My parents never ceased to struggle, but in witnessing their lives, I learned more about natural industry and leadership than in any classroom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stacey-abrams/my-parents-never-ceased-to-struggle-but-in-witnessing-their-lives-i/) [Stacey Abrams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stacey-abrams/) > [No matter what your decisions are, no matter what your votes are, if you're not playing by the rules, you're taking a big risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-moore-capito/no-matter-what-your-decisions-are-no-matter-what-your-votes-are-if-2/) [Shelley Moore Capito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-moore-capito/) > [No matter what your decisions are, no matter what your votes are, if youre not playing by the rules, youre taking a big risk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-moore-capito/no-matter-what-your-decisions-are-no-matter-what-your-votes-are-if/) [Shelley Moore Capito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-moore-capito/) > [“Every choice is yours. You and you alone bear the responsibility of your decisions. No matter how great or small they may be. —THE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-choice-is-yours-you-and-you-alone-bear-the-responsibility-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The paradox is that by the time you get to be senior, the decisions that matter the most are the ones that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth/the-paradox-is-that-by-the-time-you-get-to-be-senior-the-decisions/) [Seth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth/) > [“He had made his decision. Later in life Ann would learn that when certain men made decisions no matter how much it might torture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-minot/he-had-made-his-decision-later-in-life-ann-would-learn-that-when/) [Susan Minot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-minot/) > [Life is about making difficult decisions. No matter how long you put them off, always make the right choice. It will pay off in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-about-making-difficult-decisions-no-matter-how-long-you-put/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [By not going to school I learned that the world is a beautiful place and needs to be discovered.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/by-not-going-to-school-i-learned-that-the-world-is-a-beautiful-place/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [I went to a performing arts high school, we learned Shakespeare, I did 'Fences.' When you train, you can do anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlon-wayans/i-went-to-a-performing-arts-high-school-we-learned-shakespeare-i-did/) [Marlon Wayans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marlon-wayans/) > [I got an A for music and it was at school that I learned to build a beat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dizzee-rascal/i-got-an-a-for-music-and-it-was-at-school-that-i-learned-to-build-a/) [Dizzee Rascal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dizzee-rascal/) > [At the Brooklyn Ethical Culture School, we learned to express ourselves, and I've been expressing myself ever since.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-comden/at-the-brooklyn-ethical-culture-school-we-learned-to-express/) [Betty Comden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-comden/) > [The best function of the school in my head, as it turns out, is to remind me where not to dwell. I did my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-dodd/the-best-function-of-the-school-in-my-head-as-it-turns-out-is-to/) [Sandra Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-dodd/) ## More by Sheena Iyengar > [“Personal happiness is always a very serious matter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/personal-happiness-is-always-a-very-serious-matter/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Then, the other thing that affected my interest in choices growing up was the fact that I was going blind and that meant that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/then-the-other-thing-that-affected-my-interest-in-choices-growing-up/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [“move. For one thing, you’re going to start paying more attention. Yes, perhaps you’ll sometimes have a crazed, wild-eyed look, but that’s a price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/move-for-one-thing-you-re-going-to-start-paying-more-attention-yes/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [What we share with animals is a desire for choice. It's a desire to have control over our life and a desire to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/what-we-share-with-animals-is-a-desire-for-choice-it-s-a-desire-to/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [You know, you take a little infant and you turn on the music mobile on their crib and you find that if you give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/you-know-you-take-a-little-infant-and-you-turn-on-the-music-mobile-on/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I went home and they seemed... my parents seemed normal. They didn't seem to feel like somehow they had been victims of some Nazi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-went-home-and-they-seemed-my-parents-seemed-normal-they-didn-t-seem/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The less control people had over their work, the higher their blood pressure during work hours. Moreover, blood pressure at home was unrelated to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-less-control-people-had-over-their-work-the-higher-their-blood/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Consumers presented with six choices on an item were twice as likely to buy as consumers overwhelmed with 24 varieties of the same item.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/consumers-presented-with-six-choices-on-an-item-were-twice-as-likely/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The quality of health care continues to improve, and people are living longer, but these developments mean that we're likely to eventually find ourselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-quality-of-health-care-continues-to-improve-and-people-are-living/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [The key to getting the most from choice is to be choosy about choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/the-key-to-getting-the-most-from-choice-is-to-be-choosy-about-choosing/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I used to go to this store called Draeger's and you had a little bit of that same feeling because this was a store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-used-to-go-to-this-store-called-draeger-s-and-you-had-a-little-bit/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Balancing hopes, desires and an appreciating of the possibilities with a clear-eyed assessment of the limitations: that is the art of choosing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/balancing-hopes-desires-and-an-appreciating-of-the-possibilities-with/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [So gut tells you "How do I feel about this right now?" It doesn't tell me how I feel about it tomorrow or even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/so-gut-tells-you-how-do-i-feel-about-this-right-now-it-doesn-t-tell/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [I put out a good 10 different types of drinks for them and they just said, "Oh, okay, so it's just one choice." One…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/i-put-out-a-good-10-different-types-of-drinks-for-them-and-they-just/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) > [Like, people are less likely to invest in their retirement when they have more options in their 401K plans than when they have fewer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/like-people-are-less-likely-to-invest-in-their-retirement-when-they/) [Sheena Iyengar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) [Explore all 158 Sheena Iyengar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/) ## More Public school quotes > [Many public-school children seem to know only two dates—1492 and 4th of July; and as a rule they don't know what happened on either…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/many-public-school-children-seem-to-know-only-two-dates-1492-and-4th/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Dr. Arnold . . . the admired reformer of public schools, came across some cranks who thought it a mistake to flog boys. Anyone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/dr-arnold-the-admired-reformer-of-public-schools-came-across-some/) [Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/) > [Building great public schools and universities, a strong health care system, including keeping the Affordable Care Act, and then an economy that works well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-castro/building-great-public-schools-and-universities-a-strong-health-care/) [Joaquin Castro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-castro/) > [I'm not sure Betsy DeVos has ever spent a day in a public school. And I don't - I'm pretty sure Donald Trump hasn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-m-not-sure-betsy-devos-has-ever-spent-a-day-in-a-public-school-and/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Let's focus on how we can take someone who is being poorly educated in an American public school and how they are poorly trained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-steele/let-s-focus-on-how-we-can-take-someone-who-is-being-poorly-educated/) [Michael Steele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-steele/) > [I do look upon the secretary of education's primary responsibility as the quality of education that - and improving the education that every child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-shields/i-do-look-upon-the-secretary-of-education-s-primary-responsibility-as/) [Mark Shields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-shields/) > [Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our society - the place where all children could have access to educational opportunities to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/public-schools-were-designed-as-the-great-equalizers-of-our-society/) [Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/) > [My son Bill, who came to me in 1960-he was 14 then, quoted the old parable to me: "It is not by their words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/my-son-bill-who-came-to-me-in-1960-he-was-14-then-quoted-the-old/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [When my kids were growing up, I wanted their teachers to teach them science, reading, math and history. I also wanted them to care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-hamilton/when-my-kids-were-growing-up-i-wanted-their-teachers-to-teach-them/) [Adam Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-hamilton/) > [In the U.S., the term 'general aviation' means its exact opposite, the way 'public school' does in England. An English public school is private…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-wolfe/in-the-u-s-the-term-general-aviation-means-its-exact-opposite-the-way/) [Tom Wolfe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-wolfe/) > [Nowadays, with history not being taught anymore in American public schools, self-esteem is taking its place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-miller/nowadays-with-history-not-being-taught-anymore-in-american-public/) [Dennis Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-miller/) > [I have realized why corrupt politicians do nothing to improve the quality of public school education. They are terrified of educated voters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miriam/i-have-realized-why-corrupt-politicians-do-nothing-to-improve-the/) [Miriam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miriam/) > [America is at war with itself because it's basically declared war not only on any sense of democratic idealism, but it's declared war on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-giroux/america-is-at-war-with-itself-because-it-s-basically-declared-war-not/) [Henry Giroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-giroux/) > [If you have free universal health care and free education supported by public school taxes, then you have more bargaining power with your bosses,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-lind/if-you-have-free-universal-health-care-and-free-education-supported/) [Michael Lind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-lind/) > [I grew up in a rough area, went to an all-black school, public school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demarcus-cousins/i-grew-up-in-a-rough-area-went-to-an-all-black-school-public-school/) [DeMarcus Cousins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demarcus-cousins/) [Browse all 531 Public school quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-school/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“but in public school i learned that it was not only natural but desirable that i should make my own decisions. it was not a matter of cultural background or personality or abilities; it was simply what was true and right”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Sheena Iyengar" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-was-not-only-natural-but/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Public school" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-was-not-only-natural-but/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8fe/sheena-iyengar-2596_public-school_but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-w_2460559.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“but in public school i learned that it was not only natural but desirable that i should make my own…” — Sheena Iyengar", "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": "Sheena Iyengar", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheena-iyengar/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“but in public school i learned...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-was-not-only-natural-but/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheena-iyengar/but-in-public-school-i-learned-that-it-was-not-only-natural-but/#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 } } ] } ```