Aim Quote by W. E. B. Du Bois
“All men cannot go to college, but some men must; every isolated group or nation must have its yeast, must have, for the talented few, centers of training where men are not so mystified and befuddled by the hard and necessary toil of earning a living as to have no aims higher than their bellies and no God greater than Gold.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: "The Talented Tenth", 1903
Society needs elite institutions to develop talent, otherwise the masses remain uneducated and driven only by basic needs.
In simple terms: Education for the gifted lifts society.
Key Takeaway
Invest in elite training for talent.
Themes
education
elitism
social mobility
Mood
critical
analytical
Type
sociopolitical
ethical
When to use this quote
- higher education policy
- scholarship programs
- community leadership
Key Concepts
sociology
meritocracy
Questions to Reflect On
- Who decides who is "talented"?
- How to balance broad education with elite training?
A Different Perspective
Overemphasis on elite can widen inequality.
![“He [an earnest young reporter] seemed to share the view of many intelligent, well-educated, well-meaning people that, while adult literature may aim to be art, the object of children's books is to whip the little rascals into shape.” quote by Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2cf/katherine-paterson-2365_adults_he-an-earnest-young-reporter-seemed-to-s_6101.jpg)
![“I really enjoyed it - being involved in watching rushes and playback [in "The Invisible Woman"]. Ralph [Fiennes] was very open to my input, I think knowing that he couldn't always be there 100 percent, that he had dual aims with directing and acting.” quote by Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/56e/felicity-jones-2070_acting_i-really-enjoyed-it-being-involved-in-wa_11933.jpg)
