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The meaning and origin of the expression: He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches

He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches

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What's the meaning of the phrase 'He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches'?

A criticism of the teaching profession, portraying it as second best.

What's the origin of the phrase 'He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches'?

He who can, does; he who cannot, teaches

George Bernard Shaw wrote this in his play Man and Superman, 1903. It is included as Maxim 36 in the Maxims for Revolutionists that is included in the work. It's not clear if Shaw was expressing his own opinion of those who Bob Dylan, in his song My Back Pages, called 'the mongrel dogs who teach', or whether it was merely the opinion of one of the play's characters. Another Shaw quotation about teaching gives us a clue:

"A fool's brain digests philosophy into folly, science into superstition, and art into pedantry. Hence University education."

See also: the List of Proverbs.

Gary Martin - the author of the phrases.org.uk website.

By Gary Martin

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