what is the meaning of "i cannot teach you anything, i can only make you think"?

Answer 1

As a parent, I try to mix both approaches.

It's the whole "if you give a man a fish" thing.

Answer 2

I am not a teacher but, i think teaching is a process(some kiond of system) with inputs and outputs, if u vision the way the input flow through the system, the input is in some kind of evolution of shape,size,features(some thing is being added or sutracted to/from it),and a teacher is the part of that particular process(it is like the gear of it),the system use it to accumudate the evolution of the input,to answer u'r question if some one says what u have
said,it means "i dont belive in evolution ,and i am not the part of it,but i belive in miracles"

Answer 3

Well, Socrates said that. He was an ancient Greek philosopher, who believed that the "...highest form of Human Excellence is to question oneself and others." (Wikpedia atricle)

His "method" of teaching included asking a series of questions to a person to aid in determining his/her underlying beliefs, & in order to "test" how knowledgeable they were.

He believed that he was wise in that he KNEW that he had no knowledge - while others thought they were wise and did not know that they were ignorant.

So the quotation means: I cannot teach you anything because I do not know what you believe. I can only ask questions to help you think - and in that way help you understand - for yourself - what you already know.

This type of teaching isn't the "learn it off by rote" way. It allows the "pupil" to think -examine his own ideas and beliefs - and draw conclusions using information that is available from the teacher, and therefore the pupil is in fact the teacher - he learns by "seeing" for himself whether something makes sense or not - not because someone TELLS him so.........

This is jusy MY interpretation of the quote, but I hope it helps. If you want to read more about Socrates, check the links below.

Answer 4

Like they can give you somethings to think about and you will be able to teach yourself somethings instead of them teaching you and putting it there for you , you can go discover it on your own with some info from them?

Answer 5

All knowledge comes from within. Seek ye first the consciousness of God, Ask questions of your own heart, the answers will come to you. The mind is not for thinking, the mind is for receiving thought.

Answer 6

Whatever you truly believe is based on your own process of confirmation, and as such what anyone else says has to be confirmed and assimilated on your own terms. Furthermore after all that, you alone will set the significant values of that information for yourself and only when it is intuitive to your reasoning can you truly begin to comprehend it!

Answer 7

Well I guess it means it's better to make someone think about something and let them figure out the meaning and purpose of it on their own rather than just force them to believe what you tell them.

Answer 8

I take that as meaning, A person can give you advice about things and try to help, but its really up to you to decide the right decision about things for your own well being.

Answer 9

It means that only you can learn from a teacher and what you learn from that teacher should make you more inquisitive , more thoughtful about the world around you and how it works.

Answer 10

if your thinking you are applying brain power to teach yourself you think about something that you want answers to and you then resolve them and learn about them your self ...... that Fraze sounds like a psychologist said it.. as that is what they do they ask you questions then you solve them in you mind they just get the pay check ...you did all of the work

Answer 11

I think that some stuff you already know, and a person can basically only enhance the ideas, thoughts etc of the subject.