I've always believed in the importance of education and

Hear now the words of Muhtar Kent, who once guided one of the world’s great enterprises, and who spoke not of profits or power, but of wisdom: “I’ve always believed in the importance of education and continuing to learn throughout every stage of life.” His words carry the force of an eternal law, older than kings and mightier than empires—that the soul of man is not fixed at birth, nor fulfilled at youth, but must be nourished by knowledge as long as breath endures.

The ancients knew this truth well. In the schools of Athens, Socrates taught that the wise man is not the one who knows all things, but the one who admits, “I know nothing,” and thus remains ever open to learn. In the East, Confucius declared that learning is the path to virtue, not only for the child but for the elder, for wisdom has no season and no end. Kent’s words flow from this same river of thought: that learning is not a task to be finished, but a way of life, a lifelong pilgrimage toward greater light.

Consider the life of Leonardo da Vinci, that towering mind of the Renaissance. Even as his paintings astonished kings and his inventions stirred wonder, he remained a student, sketching plants, dissecting bodies, and observing the flight of birds. To him, education was never a closed book but an endless unfolding scroll. He grew old, but never ceased to seek. And because he refused to stop learning, he became one of the rarest figures in history: not merely skilled, but timeless. Kent’s words echo the same call—to embrace every stage of life as fertile ground for growth.

Yet how often men err by thinking otherwise. Some believe that once schooling is done, they are finished with education. They trade their books for comfort, their questions for routines. But what is life without continued learning but a stagnant pond, breeding decay instead of flowing with freshness? To stop learning is to begin dying long before death comes. To continue learning, however, is to remain ever-young in spirit, ever-ready to rise to new challenges.

Muhtar Kent, who rose from humble beginnings to lead across nations, understood that his strength did not come from position alone, but from the discipline of continuing to learn. For leadership without learning is arrogance, and success without growth is short-lived. The leader who studies, listens, and adapts remains relevant even as the world changes. The worker who keeps learning new skills remains valuable, even as trades shift. The soul who thirsts for knowledge remains vibrant, even as age wearies the body.

Therefore, O listener, take this teaching into your heart: never abandon the path of education. In youth, let it sharpen your mind; in adulthood, let it expand your vision; in old age, let it keep your spirit bright. Read, listen, observe, and ask questions even when others grow silent. Be humble enough to admit that you do not know, and brave enough to pursue what you do not yet understand.

And in your daily life, practice this creed of learning. Pick up a book where you would have turned to idleness. Ask a question where you would have remained silent. Seek a mentor where you feel lost, and be a mentor where others seek guidance. Teach what you know, but never believe you have nothing left to learn. For the tree that ceases to draw from the soil begins to wither, but the one that continues to feed from its roots grows strong through every season.

Thus Muhtar Kent’s words stand as both reminder and command: life is not a closed journey but a school without end. To learn is to live; to cease learning is to die while still breathing. Let every stage of your days be marked by the hunger for knowledge, and you will walk the earth not only as one who has lived, but as one who has grown, flourished, and left behind wisdom for those who follow.