If you don't give education to people, it is easy to manipulate

The legendary footballer and humanitarian Pelé once said: “If you don’t give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them.” Though spoken by a man of sport, these words carry the weight of a philosopher and the fire of a reformer. For Pelé, who rose from poverty in Brazil to become a global symbol of excellence, education was not merely the privilege of the elite — it was the shield of the powerless. Behind his simple statement lies an eternal truth: that ignorance is the root of subjugation, and knowledge the key to freedom.

Pelé understood this truth not from books, but from life itself. Born in humble circumstances, he witnessed the struggles of the poor — people denied opportunities not because they lacked talent or will, but because they were deprived of education, the very tool that could lift them out of servitude. He saw how ignorance made communities vulnerable to false promises, how those who could not read or reason were easily led by those who could. His words echo a warning as ancient as civilization itself: that a people uneducated will forever be at the mercy of the powerful, for where the mind is dark, tyranny finds its home.

The sages of old knew this well. Socrates was condemned not because he was dangerous with a sword, but because he taught men to think — and thinking is the greatest threat to any system built on deceit. When people learn to question, they become ungovernable by lies. In the same spirit, Pelé’s words stand as a cry for awakening: to educate is not only to inform, but to liberate. Education gives people the ability to discern truth from illusion, justice from oppression. It builds within them a light that no ruler, no demagogue, no deceiver can extinguish.

History has given us bitter examples of what happens when this light is withheld. In every age, tyrants have sought to control not by chains, but by ignorance. In Nazi Germany, the manipulation of truth through propaganda led millions into moral blindness. In colonial empires, subjugated peoples were often denied schooling, for an educated slave would no longer obey. Even in modern times, societies where education is suppressed or politicized remain trapped in cycles of poverty and manipulation. The lesson is clear: where knowledge is restricted, freedom is lost.

Pelé’s insight also speaks to our own era, where the battlefield is not only in classrooms but in the realm of media and information. Today, manipulation comes not only from dictators, but from the flood of falsehoods that shape minds through screens. The uneducated — those who lack the tools of critical thinking — become prey to rumor, fear, and division. Education, therefore, must go beyond reading and writing; it must teach discernment, ethics, and courage. Only then can humanity stand firm against those who would twist truth for gain.

In his life, Pelé demonstrated what knowledge and discipline can create when joined with purpose. Though he was a man of sport, he became a symbol of human potential — a reminder that education is not confined to schools, but found in every act of learning, every effort to understand oneself and the world. He used his fame to speak for children’s education across nations, knowing that every classroom built is a fortress against corruption and despair.

The lesson of Pelé’s words is both noble and urgent: to educate is to empower, and to neglect education is to betray the future. Let parents, teachers, and leaders remember that ignorance is not merely the absence of learning — it is the presence of danger. When people know their worth, they cannot be enslaved; when they can think, they cannot be deceived. Therefore, every book opened, every question asked, every truth taught becomes an act of resistance against manipulation.

So, let this teaching be carried in the hearts of all who seek a better world: give people education, and you give them freedom. Deny them education, and you give power to the few who would rule through deceit. For the truest revolution is not fought with swords or slogans, but with minds awakened — minds that no longer bow to manipulation, but rise in the light of wisdom and justice.