[QOTD] Those who can, Do!

In 1903 George Bernard Shaw published Man and Superman—and bound into the same volume, after the four acts, were two short pamphlets, The Revolutionist’s Handbook and Maxims for Revolutionists.

In the above-mentioned Maxims for Revolutionists, Shaw wrote:

“He who can, does — he who cannot, teaches.”

which became a very popular quote hailing doers (anyone say self-educated tech entrepreneurs?) and is used to suggest that teaching is a fallback for those lacking practical skills.

The quote has become a source of debate (for example in this Quora thread "How true is the phrase 'those who can do, those who can't teach' in your field?") on the reasons for teaching, criticism of schools, and overall frustration with teachers.

While some have claimed that an even earlier and more prominent source for the quote by Aristotle almost reverses the meaning, often attributing the line

“Those who can, do; those who understand, teach.”

to Aristotle – yet the wording first appears in educational scholar Lee S. Shulman’s 1986 essay, where he deliberately recasts Shaw to praise understanding.

This version actually praises the teachers for their extra ability of understanding.

Yet, unfortunately for those trying to recover the honor of the teaching profession, that's not exactly what Aristotle wrote in Metaphysics I.1 (981 b 10-13):

“Hence we think also that the master-workers in each craft are more honorable… because they know the causes of the things that are done.”

actually praising those who do so well that they know how things work, somewhat pre-echoing Richard Feynman (Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! ,1985) who is known for saying:

“If you want to master something, teach it.”

So, we are still left with possible criticism of teachers and teaching based off of Shaw's words, and sometimes extended to insult consultants too:

Those who can – do. Those who can't – teach. Those who can't teach – consult.

And yet, as I teach more and more, and try to justify my focus on teaching (more than doing), I wonder – is it possible that all of these opinions are actually in agreement?

My point is that if the teacher works hard, to be the best, to be engaging, to educate, to teach – to treat the job as a source of pride and not as a source of income – just like a master-worker treats their creation, then teaching, pursued with the diligence of a master-craftsman, is itself a form of doing; such teachers both “do” and “understand”, leaving their students doubly fortunate.

Aristotle+George Bernard Shaw+Richard Feynman by ChartGPT