They had the universal delusion
that a teacher can teach. The fact is that a teacher
is a well. Some wells are full, others almost dry. Some
are so arranged that water cannot be got from them,
others have attachments of various kinds, making the
drawing of water more or less easy. But not from the
best well with the latest pump attachment can one get
a drink unless one does the drinking oneself. A teacher
is rarely a well. The pupil must not only draw the
water, but also drink it, must not only teach himself,
but also learn what he teaches. Now we are all of us
born thirsty for knowledge, and nearly all of us are
born both capable of teaching ourselves and capable of
learning what we teach, that is, of retaining and assimilating
it. There is such a thing as artificially feeding
the mind, just as there is such a thing as artificially
feeding the body; but while everyone knows that artificial
feeding of the body is a success only to a limited
extent and for a brief period, everyone believes that
the artificial feeding of the mind is not only the best
method, but the only method.
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