To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like

Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the fiery voice of justice and one of the great architects of freedom for women, once declared: “To throw obstacles in the way of a complete education is like putting out the eyes.” In these words, she struck with the force of a prophet. For what are eyes but the windows through which we behold the world? And what is education but the vision of the mind, the light that reveals truth, opportunity, and dignity? To deny one the fullness of education is not merely to limit them—it is to blind them, to rob them of the sight with which they might walk into their destiny.

The ancients themselves knew that sight was sacred. In the myths of Greece, the blind prophet Tiresias saw truths hidden even from the seeing, reminding us that vision is not of the eyes alone but of wisdom. Yet Stanton warns us that without education, the inner eyes of wisdom remain darkened. To obstruct the learning of a soul is not a harmless act—it is an act of violence, a theft of the light that guides one’s steps through life. Just as to blind a person is to make them stumble in the shadows, so too to deny them knowledge is to condemn them to wander in ignorance.

Stanton herself spoke these words in the crucible of the 19th century, when women were barred from the halls of higher learning, when daughters were told their place was silence, obedience, and domesticity. She saw this denial for what it was: not mere neglect, but a deliberate obstacle placed before the path of half of humanity. To Stanton, such a practice was monstrous, for it robbed women of their full humanity, blinding them to their own strength and their own rightful place in the world. Her words were a call to tear down the barriers, to let the light of education fall on every soul without distinction.

History bears witness to the truth of her cry. Consider the story of Malala Yousafzai, centuries after Stanton, who risked her life to speak for the right of girls to learn in Pakistan. When her enemies sought to silence her with violence, she rose even stronger, her voice echoing around the globe. Her struggle proves what Stanton declared: that to deny education is to blind, and to restore it is to give back sight. For in Malala’s fight, millions of young girls found their vision restored, their futures illuminated.

The meaning of Stanton’s words extends beyond women alone. They remind us that to obstruct the education of any group—whether by poverty, prejudice, or injustice—is to darken the world. A people denied learning are like a nation stumbling blindfolded toward ruin. The great movements of liberation, from abolition to civil rights, all recognized this truth: that education is the torch by which freedom is seen and seized. Without it, no chain can be broken, no destiny fulfilled.

The lesson for us, then, is urgent and clear. Do not allow obstacles to stand in the way of learning—whether for yourself, your children, or for others. Tear down prejudice, break through barriers, and fight for the light of knowledge to reach every mind. Recognize that to restrict learning is to commit an act of blindness, not only against the individual but against the future of humanity itself. For every person denied knowledge is a flame extinguished, and every person educated is a torch lit to guide the world.

Practical action flows from this truth. Read, study, and pursue complete education, not only in the schools of men but in the greater school of life. Support the education of those who are denied it, whether near or far. Teach with generosity, share what you know, and open doors for others to see. And most of all, guard against the blindness of arrogance—the belief that some deserve light while others deserve darkness. For knowledge belongs to all, and its gift cannot be withheld without shame.

Thus, children of the future, remember Stanton’s cry: to obstruct education is to put out the eyes. Guard your sight, seek always the light of learning, and fight that it may shine for all. For in the illumination of knowledge lies freedom, power, and dignity—and in its denial lies only blindness, darkness, and despair. Choose light, and you will walk as children of wisdom upon the earth.