"The experience of the race shows that we get our most important education not through books but through our work. We are developed by our daily task, or else demoralized by it, as by nothing else"
About this Quote
Spencer’s intent is reformist, and the subtext is a warning. If labor conditions are degrading, the damage won’t be contained to wages or safety; it will seep into civic life as “demoralization” - a word that points to ethical corrosion, not mere sadness. That framing reflects her era’s ferment: industrial capitalism tightening its grip, women’s labor and social welfare becoming public debates, and progressive thinkers trying to treat the workplace as a moral and political institution rather than a private contract.
There’s also a subtle democratization here. Education isn’t reserved for the literate elite; everyone is being educated constantly, whether society admits it or not. That’s the sting: if work is the real school, then a culture that tolerates monotonous, humiliating, dead-end labor is quietly mass-producing diminished selves. Spencer makes the workplace a battleground for dignity, not just productivity.
Quote Details
| Topic | Work Ethic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Spencer, Anna Garlin. (2026, January 17). The experience of the race shows that we get our most important education not through books but through our work. We are developed by our daily task, or else demoralized by it, as by nothing else. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-experience-of-the-race-shows-that-we-get-our-42661/
Chicago Style
Spencer, Anna Garlin. "The experience of the race shows that we get our most important education not through books but through our work. We are developed by our daily task, or else demoralized by it, as by nothing else." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-experience-of-the-race-shows-that-we-get-our-42661/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The experience of the race shows that we get our most important education not through books but through our work. We are developed by our daily task, or else demoralized by it, as by nothing else." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-experience-of-the-race-shows-that-we-get-our-42661/. Accessed 13 Feb. 2026.
