--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great purpose of school can be…" description: "\"The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places ... It is to master the physical self, to transcend the beauty of natu..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png" --- # The great purpose of school can be realized better in… ![“The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places ... It is to master the physical self, to transcend the beauty of nature. School should develop the power to withdraw from the external world.” quote by William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png) > “The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places ... It is to master the physical self, to transcend the beauty of nature. School should develop the power to withdraw from the external world.” [William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. School should teach self‑control and inner mastery, allowing one to detach from external distractions and appreciate nature’s beauty. **In simple terms:** School trains inner strength and detachment. Key Takeaway Cultivate inner discipline over external validation. Themes education self‑mastery detachment nature appreciation Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - personal growth - mindfulness - spiritual practice - academic settings Key Concepts philosophy of education inner development Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance inner mastery with societal engagement? - What practices foster healthy detachment? A Different Perspective Excessive withdrawal can lead to social isolation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beauty Of Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beauty-of-nature/) [Dark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Purpose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/purpose/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [We do not want nowadays temples of worship and outward rites and ceremonies. What we really want is an Asram. We want a place…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-do-not-want-nowadays-temples-of-worship-and-outward-rites-and/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [We cannot look upon our lives as dreams of a dreamer who has no awakening in all time. We have a personality to which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rabindranath-tagore/we-cannot-look-upon-our-lives-as-dreams-of-a-dreamer-who-has-no/) [Rabindranath Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rabindranath-tagore/) > [I felt I had to share Idaho with my friend from New York because he'd shared New York with me, so I was going…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariel-hemingway/i-felt-i-had-to-share-idaho-with-my-friend-from-new-york-because-he-d/) [Mariel Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariel-hemingway/) > [Many people are so imprisoned in their minds that the beauty of nature does not really exist for them. They might say, 'What a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/many-people-are-so-imprisoned-in-their-minds-that-the-beauty-of/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-frank/because-only-then-does-one-feel-that-all-is-as-it-should-be-and-that/) [Anne Frank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-frank/) > [Photography begins not in the camera but in the mind and the eye. The real work is one of noticing and appreciating, seeing things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-atkinson/photography-begins-not-in-the-camera-but-in-the-mind-and-the-eye-the/) Bill Atkinson > [I was completely astonished by the beauty of nature. Our eyes see just a small fraction of the light in the world. It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-hofmann/i-was-completely-astonished-by-the-beauty-of-nature-our-eyes-see-just/) [Albert Hofmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-hofmann/) > [We feel the beauty of nature because we are part of nature and because we know that however much in our separate domains we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-everett-just/we-feel-the-beauty-of-nature-because-we-are-part-of-nature-and/) Ernest Everett Just > [Konstantin Levin did not like talking and hearing about the beauty of nature. Words for him took away the beauty of what he saw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-tolstoy/konstantin-levin-did-not-like-talking-and-hearing-about-the-beauty-of/) [Leo Tolstoy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-tolstoy/) > [Aren't we grateful for our brains, that can take this electrical impulse that comes from light energy and use it to explore our world?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-schwartzberg/aren-t-we-grateful-for-our-brains-that-can-take-this-electrical/) [Louis Schwartzberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-schwartzberg/) > [...he who has seen the intimate beauty of nature cannot tear himself away from it again. He must become either a poet or a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/he-who-has-seen-the-intimate-beauty-of-nature-cannot-tear-himself/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [People who put my paintings on their walls are putting their values on their walls: faith, family, home, a simpler way of living, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/people-who-put-my-paintings-on-their-walls-are-putting-their-values/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The true beauty of nature is her amplitude; she exists neither for nor because of us, and possesses a staying power that all our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-jay-gould/the-true-beauty-of-nature-is-her-amplitude-she-exists-neither-for-nor/) [Stephen Jay Gould](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-jay-gould/) > [The real beauty created by man never competes with the beauty of nature; but it only perfectly completes it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/the-real-beauty-created-by-man-never-competes-with-the-beauty-of/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [The beauty of nature has been one of the great inspirations in my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-henson/the-beauty-of-nature-has-been-one-of-the-great-inspirations-in-my-life/) [Jim Henson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-henson/) ## More by William Torrey Harris > [Nothing reveals character more than self-sacrifice. So the highest knowledge we have of God is through the gift of His Son.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/nothing-reveals-character-more-than-self-sacrifice-so-the-highest/) [William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) > [Education is the preparation of the individual for reciprocal union with society; the preparation of the individual so that he can help his fellow-men…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/education-is-the-preparation-of-the-individual-for-reciprocal-union/) [William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) > [ Our schools have been scientifically designed to prevent over-education from happening. The average American \[should be\] content with their humble role in life, because… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/our-schools-have-been-scientifically-designed-to-prevent-over/) [William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) > [ Ninety-nine \[students\] out of a hundred are automata, careful to walk in prescribed paths, careful to follow the prescribed custom. This is not an… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/ninety-nine-students-out-of-a-hundred-are-automata-careful-to-walk-in/) [William Torrey Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) [Explore all 5 William Torrey Harris quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/) ## More Dark quotes > [Crony capitalism is essentially a condition in which... public officials are giving favours to people in the private sector in payment of political favours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-greenspan/crony-capitalism-is-essentially-a-condition-in-which-public-officials/) [Alan Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-greenspan/) > [“I could see her will leaving and death seeping through her skin to skewer her soul.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-d-stroube/i-could-see-her-will-leaving-and-death-seeping-through-her-skin-to/) [J.D. Stroube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-d-stroube/) > [The soul wanders in the dark, until it finds love. And so, wherever our love goes, there we find our soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-zimmerman/the-soul-wanders-in-the-dark-until-it-finds-love-and-so-wherever-our/) [Mary Zimmerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-zimmerman/) > [“Men circle like bees around honey, buzzing to communicate their sexual despair.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carla-h-krueger/men-circle-like-bees-around-honey-buzzing-to-communicate-their-sexual/) [Carla H Krueger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carla-h-krueger/) > [All comedy comes from a dark place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katt-williams/all-comedy-comes-from-a-dark-place/) [Katt Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katt-williams/) > [It's a really dark, emotionally wrenching world that we've created on 'The Walking Dead.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-holden/it-s-a-really-dark-emotionally-wrenching-world-that-we-ve-created-on/) [Laurie Holden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-holden/) > [I get afraid of the dark if I'm in a great deal of dark, and I have to move around inside of that fear...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emil-ferris/i-get-afraid-of-the-dark-if-i-m-in-a-great-deal-of-dark-and-i-have-to/) [Emil Ferris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emil-ferris/) > [I guess he'll have to figure out someday that he is supposed to have this dark side, that it is part of what it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/i-guess-he-ll-have-to-figure-out-someday-that-he-is-supposed-to-have/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [“Once upon a time, there was a naïve and innocent girl who thought she could tame the beast and live happily ever after. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nenia-campbell/once-upon-a-time-there-was-a-na-ve-and-innocent-girl-who-thought-she/) [Nenia Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nenia-campbell/) > [Memory revises me. Even now a letter comes from a place I don’t know, from someone with my name and postmarked years ago, while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/li-young-lee/memory-revises-me-even-now-a-letter-comes-from-a-place-i-don-t-know/) [Li-Young Lee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/li-young-lee/) > [Like the water of a deep stream, love is always too much. We did not make it. Though we drink till we burst, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/like-the-water-of-a-deep-stream-love-is-always-too-much-we-did-not/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Let death bless me with you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-death-bless-me-with-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“what do you call/that space between the dark geographies of sex?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-trethaway/what-do-you-call-that-space-between-the-dark-geographies-of-sex/) Natasha Trethaway > [Twinking tears in a sea of black. Soft light in a world of darkness. Tiny wishes in a place of dreams. Do you see…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-gentile/twinking-tears-in-a-sea-of-black-soft-light-in-a-world-of-darkness/) Nicole Gentile > [Even in the dark your shadow is like a guide to me! you are my rising sun that brings forth hope just as it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nkemjika-linus/even-in-the-dark-your-shadow-is-like-a-guide-to-me-you-are-my-rising/) [Nkemjika Linus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nkemjika-linus/) [Browse all 10,198 Dark quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dark/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places ... It is to master the physical self, to transcend the beauty of nature. School should develop the power to withdraw from the external world.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "William Torrey Harris" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-realized-better-in-dark-airless/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dark" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-realized-better-in-dark-airless/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/550/william-torrey-harris-63767_dark_the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-reali_721350.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great purpose of school can be realized better in dark, airless, ugly places ... It is to master the…” — William Torrey Harris", "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": "William Torrey Harris", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-torrey-harris/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great purpose of school can...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-realized-better-in-dark-airless/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-torrey-harris/the-great-purpose-of-school-can-be-realized-better-in-dark-airless/#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 } } ] } ```