“An American clergyman once asked Gandhi what caused him most concern. ‘The hardness of heart of the educated,’ Gandhi replied.
Louis Fischer
“An American clergyman once asked Gandhi what caused him most concern. ‘The hardness of heart of the educated,’ Gandhi replied. (Louis Fischer)
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Educated people tend to be well-trained in book learning and the use of abstract thinking, but when it comes to issues like applying empathy and compassion to their understanding of the world and its problems, their educational background has sometimes offered relatively little instruction.
As a result, educated people have often been perceived as being relatively indifferent, uncaring, and out of touch with the conditions and problems of the poor and disadvantaged. Their understanding of social problems has tended to be expressed primarily in intellectual terms, but lacking in down-to-earth empathy and compassion, with the implication being that they have not been involved enough and genuinely caring about the sufferings of those who are in dire need of help.
“The most dangerous thing about an academic education is that it enables my tendency to over-intellectualize stuff, to get lost in abstract thinking instead of simply paying attention to what’s going on in front of me. Instead of paying attention to what’s going on inside me.” (David Foster Wallace)
“Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education.” (Charlotte Mason)
“Sometimes you have to stop thinking so much and go where your heart takes you.” (QuotesGram.com)
Getting Personal
Do you tend to agree with Gandhi’s evaluation of educated people? Why or why not?
….Top of post image, (Hard hearted), from Miriam Webster.com
