The merely professional man is narrow； worse than that， he is in a sense an artificial man， a creature of technicalities and specialties， removed alike from the broad truth of nature and from the healthy influence of human converse. In society， the most accomplished man of mere professional skill is often a nullity； he has sunk his personality in his dexterity.
As Nature tries every way to induce us to obey her laws by rewarding their observance with health， pleasure and happiness， and punishes their violation by pain and disease， so she resorts to every means to induce us to expand and develop the great possibilities she has implanted within us. She nerves us to the struggle， beneath which all great blessings are buried， and beguiles the tedious marches by holding up before us glittering prizes， which we may almost touch， but never quite possess. She covers up her ends of discipline by trial， of character building through suffering by throwing a splendor and glamour over the future； lest the hard， dry facts of the present dishearten us， and she fail in her great purpose. As a mother teaches her baby to walk， by holding up a toy at a distance， not that the child may reach the toy， but that it may develop its muscles and strength， compared with which the toys are mere baubles； so Nature goes before us through life， tempting us with higher and higher toys， but ever with one object in view—the development of the man.
卢梭说：“按照自然的法则，每个人都是平等的，很好地表现人性是人类共同的责任。任何一个受过良好教育的人都会很好地完成一切与他相关的工作。不论我的学生将来会成为军人、牧师，还是律师，对我来说都相差无几。我所要教给他们的是要堂堂正正地活着。当一个人完成教育生涯，他不会是一位军人，不会是一名律师，也不会成为一名神职人员，但他首先会是一个堂堂正正的人。不论命运为他作了怎样的安排，他都很乐观，并会很快地找到自己的位置。”