The only solution to the education system is to find yourself.

Hear the words of KRS-One, teacher of the streets and philosopher of the microphone, who declared: “The only solution to the education system is to find yourself.” In this saying lies a truth that echoes louder than the walls of any school: that no system, no structure, no book alone can awaken the soul of a human being. The purpose of education is not the memorizing of lessons, nor the passing of examinations, but the discovery of the self—who you are, why you are here, and what fire burns within you.

For the ancients taught that the greatest wisdom begins with the command inscribed upon the temple of Apollo at Delphi: “Know thyself.” What use is all the knowledge of the stars and the sciences if a person does not know the map of their own heart? The education system, however noble its intentions, often seeks to mold the student into conformity, teaching him to repeat answers rather than ask questions, to follow rules rather than discover truth. KRS-One, like the sages before him, warns that the truest education begins only when one dares to step beyond the lessons imposed, and begins the greater task: to find yourself.

History shows us this eternal struggle. Consider the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the prince who became the Buddha. Though he was taught by the greatest teachers of his time, though he mastered philosophy and meditation, still he found no peace until he turned inward. Sitting beneath the Bodhi tree, he sought not external knowledge but inner truth. Only then did enlightenment come. His story proves KRS-One’s words: that the solution is not merely in the system of learning, but in the awakening of the self within the learner.

Likewise, in modern times, we remember Malcolm X, who educated himself while imprisoned, not through the classrooms of a formal system but through relentless reading, reflection, and self-discovery. The system had failed him, yet by finding himself, he became one of the most powerful voices of his generation. His education was not in degrees but in transformation, proving once more that true wisdom is not granted by authority but discovered in the heart of the seeker.

The meaning of KRS-One’s words is not to despise schools or teachers, but to remind us that they are only guides, never the destination. Self-discovery is the foundation upon which all other learning must stand. A student who knows himself will know why he studies, what he seeks, and how to use knowledge rightly. But one who knows only the lessons of others, and not the truth of his own being, will be like a vessel filled with water but without a rudder, drifting without direction.

The lesson for us, O children of wisdom, is this: do not wait for a system to define you. Do not measure yourself only by grades or diplomas. Look within. Ask: What is my gift? What is my calling? What truths stir in my soul when the world grows silent? For when you find yourself, the chains of doubt are broken, and even the flaws of the system cannot hold you back.

Practical steps must follow. Keep journals, not only of facts, but of reflections. Seek mentors who do not tell you what to think, but challenge you to see who you are. Use books not as prisons but as doors to your own questions. And most of all, spend time in silence, in honesty with yourself, for the greatest teacher is the one who speaks within.

Thus let KRS-One’s wisdom be carried forward: the only solution to the education system is to find yourself. For in finding yourself, you transform knowledge into wisdom, rules into freedom, and education into liberation. This is the teaching of prophets, philosophers, and poets across the ages: systems may shape you, but only self-discovery can free you.