The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.
Meaning of the quote
The purpose of education is not just to memorize information, but to learn what is truly important in life. It's not about knowing a lot of facts, but understanding the values that guide how we think and act. Education should help us figure out what really matters, not just fill our heads with knowledge.
About William S. Burroughs
William S. Burroughs was an influential American writer and visual artist, considered a key figure of the Beat Generation. He wrote numerous novels, short stories, and essays, and collaborated with various artists. Burroughs’s work was often experimental and semi-autobiographical, drawing from his experiences as a heroin addict and his unconventional life across multiple countries.
More quotes from William S. Burroughs
The only possible ethic is to do what one wants to do.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
The way to kill a man or a nation is to cut off his dreams, the way the whites are taking care of the Indians: killing their dreams, their magic, their familiar spirits.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
You can’t fake quality any more than you can fake a good meal.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
After a shooting spree, they always want to take the guns away from the people who didn’t do it. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to live in a society where the only people allowed guns are the police and the military.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Artists to my mind are the real architects of change, and not the political legislators who implement change after the fact.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
How I hate those who are dedicated to producing conformity.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Desperation is the raw material of drastic change. Only those who can leave behind everything they have ever believed in can hope to escape.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Every man has inside himself a parasitic being who is acting not at all to his advantage.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
There couldn’t be a society of people who didn’t dream. They’d be dead in two weeks.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo – and heterosexual experimental subjects have been conditioned to react sexually to an old boot, and you can save a lot of money that way.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
A cat’s rage is beautiful, burning with pure cat flame, all its hair standing up and crackling blue sparks, eyes blazing and sputtering.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Like all pure creatures, cats are practical.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Anything that can be done chemically can be done by other means.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Nothing is true, everything is permitted.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
A functioning police state needs no police.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Sometimes paranoia’s just having all the facts.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
I am getting so far out one day I won’t come back at all.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
In my writing I am acting as a map maker, an explorer of psychic areas, a cosmonaut of inner space, and I see no point in exploring areas that have already been thoroughly surveyed.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Silence is only frightening to people who are compulsively verbalizing.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Junk is the ideal product… the ultimate merchandise. No sales talk necessary. The client will crawl through a sewer and beg to buy.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Perhaps all pleasure is only relief.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Which came first the intestine or the tapeworm?
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
The cat does not offer services. The cat offers itself. Of course he wants care and shelter. You don’t buy love for nothing.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
After one look at this planet any visitor from outer space would say ‘I want to see the manager.’
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
In deep sadness there is no place for sentimentality.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Hustlers of the world, there is one mark you cannot beat: the mark inside.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Language is a virus from outer space.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
A paranoid is someone who knows a little of what’s going on.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Our national drug is alcohol. We tend to regard the use any other drug with special horror.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Black magic operates most effectively in preconscious, marginal areas. Casual curses are the most effective.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
The face of evil is always the face of total need.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Man is an artifact designed for space travel. He is not designed to remain in his present biologic state any more than a tadpole is designed to remain a tadpole.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Happiness is a byproduct of function, purpose, and conflict; those who seek happiness for itself seek victory without war.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Most of the trouble in this world has been caused by folks who can’t mind their own business, because they have no business of their own to mind, any more than a smallpox virus has.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Smash the control images. Smash the control machine.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)
Be just and if you can’t be just, be arbitrary.
American novelist, short story writer, essayist, painter, and spoken word performer (1914-1997)