“The truly educated become conscious. They become self-aware. They do not lie to themselves. … Thought is a dialogue with one’s inner self. Those who think ask questions, questions those in authority do not want asked. They remember who we are, where we come from and where we should go. They remain eternally skeptical and distrustful of power. And they know that this moral independence is the only protection from the radical evil that results from collective unconsciousness. The capacity to think is the only bulwark against any centralized authority that seeks to impose mindless obedience. There is a huge difference, as Socrates understood, between teaching people what to think and teaching them how to think.”

—  Chris Hedges

“Why the United States Is Destroying Its Education System” (2011)

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Chris Hedges 81
American journalist 1956

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