--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I insist that the object of all true…" description: "\"I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.\" — W. E. B. Du Bois" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_carpenter_i-insist-that-the-object-of-all-true-edu_310598.png" --- # I insist that the object of all true education is not to… ![“I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.” quote by W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_carpenter_i-insist-that-the-object-of-all-true-edu_310598.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_carpenter_i-insist-that-the-object-of-all-true-edu_310598.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f06/w-e-b-du-bois-2240_carpenter_i-insist-that-the-object-of-all-true-edu_310598.png) > “I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.” [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Education should shape character, not just vocational skill. **In simple terms:** Teach humanity, not just trades. Key Takeaway Focus on personal growth. Themes education character vocational training Mood thoughtful inspirational Type philosophical ethical When to use this quote - school curricula - teacher training - career counseling Key Concepts humanism social equity Questions to Reflect On - How can curricula balance character and skill? - What values should schools prioritize? A Different Perspective May neglect practical job readiness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Carpenter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/) [Carpenters Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenters-make-2591630/) [Carpenters Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenters-men-2947682/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Make Carpenters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-carpenters-2947680/) [Make Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make-men/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Men Carpenters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men-carpenters-2947681/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [True education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-education/) ## Related quotes > [Were it not for the bone in the legge, all the world would turne Carpenters (to make them crutches).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/were-it-not-for-the-bone-in-the-legge-all-the-world-would-turne/) [George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/) > [It is as though nature must needs make men narrow in order to give them force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-as-though-nature-must-needs-make-men-narrow-in-order-to-give/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [We must remember that intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education. The complete education gives one not only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/we-must-remember-that-intelligence-is-not-enough-intelligence-plus/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [The entire object of true education, is to make people not merely do the right thing, but to enjoy right things; not merely industrious,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-entire-object-of-true-education-is-to-make-people-not-merely-do-2/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with responsibility.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-pullman/true-education-flowers-at-the-point-when-delight-falls-in-love-with/) [Philip Pullman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-pullman/) > [The essence of true education in one's life is to show the presence of mind, heart and soul to sense everything right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-essence-of-true-education-in-one-s-life-is-to-show-the-presence/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“True education is gained through the discipline of life. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/true-education-is-gained-through-the-discipline-of-life-there/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [A man's real education begins after he has left school. True education is gained through the discipline of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ford/a-man-s-real-education-begins-after-he-has-left-school-true-education/) [Henry Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ford/) > [“True education reveals self-potential, more than just sows ideas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/true-education-reveals-self-potential-more-than-just-sows-ideas/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [And what is true education? It is awakening a love for truth; giving a just sense of duty; opening the eyes of the soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-o-mckay/and-what-is-true-education-it-is-awakening-a-love-for-truth-giving-a/) [David O. McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-o-mckay/) > [The entire object of true education is to make people not merely do the right things, but enjoy the right things — not merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/the-entire-object-of-true-education-is-to-make-people-not-merely-do/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [Success takes an investment in time, dedication, and sacrifice. This is true education. It is a process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-kiyosaki/success-takes-an-investment-in-time-dedication-and-sacrifice-this-is/) [Robert Kiyosaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-kiyosaki/) > [The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-function-of-education-is-to-teach-one-to-think-intensively-and-to/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [True education is limited to those people who would die without knowing, whereas the masses in the institutions are merely going through the motions,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryant-h-mcgill/true-education-is-limited-to-those-people-who-would-die-without/) [Bryant H. McGill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryant-h-mcgill/) > [Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/education-must-enable-one-to-sift-and-weigh-evidence-to-discern-the/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) ## More by W. E. B. Du Bois > [So often do you see collegians enter life with high resolve and lofty purpose and then watch them shrink and shrink to sordid, selfish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/so-often-do-you-see-collegians-enter-life-with-high-resolve-and-lofty/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As a race, the Negroes are not lazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-a-race-the-negroes-are-not-lazy/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [If there is anybody in this land who thoroughly believes that the meek shall inherit the earth they have not often let their presence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/if-there-is-anybody-in-this-land-who-thoroughly-believes-that-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Men we shall have only as we make manhood the object of the work of the schools - intelligence, broad sympathy, knowledge of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/men-we-shall-have-only-as-we-make-manhood-the-object-of-the-work-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Had it not been for the race problem early thrust upon me and enveloping me, I should have probably been an unquestioning worshipper at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/had-it-not-been-for-the-race-problem-early-thrust-upon-me-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before and after emancipation, the Negro, in self-defense, was propelled toward the white employer. The endowments of wealthy white men have developed great institutions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-and-after-emancipation-the-negro-in-self-defense-was-propelled/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The use of slave women as day workers naturally broke up or made impossible the normal Negro home, and this and the slave code…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-use-of-slave-women-as-day-workers-naturally-broke-up-or-made/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Before the Civil War, the Negro was certainly as efficient a workman as the raw immigrant from Ireland or Germany. But, whereas the Irishmen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/before-the-civil-war-the-negro-was-certainly-as-efficient-a-workman/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [All art is propaganda, and ever must be, despite the wailing of the purists. I stand in utter shamelessness and say that whatever art…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/all-art-is-propaganda-and-ever-must-be-despite-the-wailing-of-the/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [The ruling of men is the effort to direct the individual actions of many persons toward some end. This end theoretically should be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/the-ruling-of-men-is-the-effort-to-direct-the-individual-actions-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [Education is that whole system of human training within and without the school house walls, which molds and develops men.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/education-is-that-whole-system-of-human-training-within-and-without/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [As Negro voting increased, Congress got an improved sense of hearing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/as-negro-voting-increased-congress-got-an-improved-sense-of-hearing/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [From the day of its birth, the anomaly of slavery plagued a nation which asserted the equality of all men, and sought to derive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/from-the-day-of-its-birth-the-anomaly-of-slavery-plagued-a-nation/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is the stars, it is the ancient stars, it is the young and everlasting stars!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-the-stars-it-is-the-ancient-stars-it-is-the-young-and/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) > [It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at one's self through the eyes of others, of measuring one's soul…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-e-b-du-bois/it-is-a-peculiar-sensation-this-double-consciousness-this-sense-of/) [W. E. B. Du Bois](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) [Explore all 177 W. E. B. Du Bois quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-e-b-du-bois/) ## More Carpenter quotes > [An axe at home saves hiring a carpenter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/an-axe-at-home-saves-hiring-a-carpenter/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [Even if I wasn't in music, even if my father was a carpenter, some guy in Jamaica would go 'You're just like Bob. You're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ziggy-marley/even-if-i-wasn-t-in-music-even-if-my-father-was-a-carpenter-some-guy/) [Ziggy Marley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ziggy-marley/) > [Raise high the roof beam, carpenters. Like Ares comes the bridegroom, taller far than a tall man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sappho/raise-high-the-roof-beam-carpenters-like-ares-comes-the-bridegroom/) [Sappho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sappho/) > [As regards the quietude of the sage, he is not quiet because quietness is said to be good. He is quiet because the multitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhuangzi/as-regards-the-quietude-of-the-sage-he-is-not-quiet-because-quietness/) [Zhuangzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhuangzi/) > [He came, not as a flash of light or as an unapproachable conqueror, but as one whose first cries were heard by a peasant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/max-lucado/he-came-not-as-a-flash-of-light-or-as-an-unapproachable-conqueror-but/) [Max Lucado](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/max-lucado/) > [There's a devil inside me which cries, "You're not the son of the Carpenter, you're the son of King David! You are not a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/there-s-a-devil-inside-me-which-cries-you-re-not-the-son-of-the/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [As I've gotten old I've really listened to a wide spectrum of music, whether it's The Carpenters, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z or Lauryn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brooklyn-sudano/as-i-ve-gotten-old-i-ve-really-listened-to-a-wide-spectrum-of-music/) [Brooklyn Sudano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brooklyn-sudano/) > [This, more than anything else, is what I have never understood about your people. You can roll dice, and understand that the whole game…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-hobb/this-more-than-anything-else-is-what-i-have-never-understood-about/) [Robin Hobb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-hobb/) > [It's the ones that deal with the inner fear, the unknown realms and the mysticisms that are scary. You had that in the Carpenter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/it-s-the-ones-that-deal-with-the-inner-fear-the-unknown-realms-and/) [Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adewale-akinnuoye-agbaje/) > [Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/read-read-read-read-everything-trash-classics-good-and-bad-and-see/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [“The Carpenter Shop”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-carpenter-shop/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [I'd rather spend half an hour in the company of a top carpenter, than three hours in the company of an average brain surgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/winston-churchill/i-d-rather-spend-half-an-hour-in-the-company-of-a-top-carpenter-than/) [Winston Churchill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/winston-churchill/) > [You may abuse a tragedy, though you cannot write one. You may scold a carpenter who has made you a bad table, though you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/you-may-abuse-a-tragedy-though-you-cannot-write-one-you-may-scold-a/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [But suicides have a special language. Like carpenters they want to know which tools. They never ask why build. Twice I have so simply…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-sexton/but-suicides-have-a-special-language-like-carpenters-they-want-to/) [Anne Sexton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-sexton/) > [An ancient gnarled tree: Too fibrous for a logger's saw, Too twisted to fit a carpenter's square, Outlasts the whole forest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ming-dao-deng/an-ancient-gnarled-tree-too-fibrous-for-a-logger-s-saw-too-twisted-to/) [Ming-Dao Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ming-dao-deng/) [Browse all 249 Carpenter quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/carpenter/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I insist that the object of all true education is not to make men carpenters, it is to make carpenters men.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "W. E. B. 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