No one was allowed to graduate from that school unless he could climb, swim, run, and fly at a certain prescribed rate. The animals that would not submit to such training, but persisted in developing the best gifts they had, were dishonored, called narrow-minded and specialists, and special difficulties were placed in their way when they attempted to ignore the theory of education recognized by the school. Nature was not to be trusted in her make up of individuals, for individuals should be symmetrically developed and similar for their own welfare as well as for the welfare of the community. The eagle was made to run and allowed to fly only for recreation, while maturing tadpoles were unmercifully guyed for being neither one thing nor another. So the duck was kept waddling instead of swimming, the pelican was kept wagging his short wings in the attempt to fly. If one had short legs and good wings, the attention should be given to running so as to even up the qualities as far as possible. The theory of the school was that the best animals should be able to do one thing as well as another and if there was an apparent aptitude in a given animal for doing one thing and an apparent inaptitude for doing other things, the time and effort should be spent upon the latter instead of the former. of Tufts College, Quote, Column 2, New England Publishing Company, Boston, Massachusetts. … Continue readingĪ long time ago, when the animal creation was being differentiated into swimmers, climbers, fliers, and runners, there was a school for the development of the animals. Note that excerpts are usually indented, but for the sake of readability this extended excerpt is not indented: 1899 October 12, Journal of Education, Volume 50, Number 14, An Educational Allegory by Aesop, Jr.
The essay emphasized the absurdity of using a single inflexible standard for assessing the achievement of each individual student. Dolbear of Tufts, a prominent physicist and inventor. The author was later identified as Amos E. QI has identified an influential essay called “An Educational Allegory” that was written under the pen name “Aesop, Jr.” and published in the “Journal of Education” in 1898. Top lexicographical researcher Barry Popik pointed out the existence of tales about schools for animals that are very valuable for understanding the background behind the creation of this quote. Hence, this quotation is built on ideas that have been in circulation among educators for many decades.īelow are additional selected citations in chronological order. In the domain of education this allegory has been employed repeatedly for more than one hundred years. A fish is specialized to swim superbly, and its ability to climb a tree is non-existent or rudimentary. It is inappropriate to judge an animal by focusing on a skill which the creature does not possess. This quotation alludes to a long-standing allegorical framework. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” The question I have for you at this point of our journey together is, “What is your genius?” (Google Books Preview)Īlbert Einstein wrote, “Everybody is a genius. The self-help book “The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose” by Matthew Kelly contained a chapter titled “Everybody is a Genius” which began: 2004, “The rhythm of life: living every day with passion and purpose” by Matthew Kelly, Quote, Fireside, New York. The earliest evidence of a close match known to QI appeared in 2004, and that is decades after the death of Einstein in 1955. 2010, The Ultimate Quotable Einstein, Edited by Alice Calaprice, Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey.
It does not appear in the comprehensive collection of quotations “The Ultimate Quotable Einstein” from Princeton University Press. Quote Investigator: There is no substantive evidence that Einstein made this statement. Sometimes “everybody” is used instead of “everyone”. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
I have also seen it on numerous websites:Įveryone is a genius. Albert Einstein? Amos Dolbear? Matthew Kelly? Apocryphal?ĭear Quote Investigator: The following saying is popular on Facebook where it is credited to Albert Einstein.
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