Every person has their own unique thoughts and ideas about life. Many people have tried to make a positive change in the world. Some were successful in bringing about change and others were not. Joseph Jacotot, a French speaker spoke about different perspectives on human beings, discussed in a book by Jacques Rancière titled “The Ignorant Schoolmaster”. In his book, Rancière sets out in a very descriptive manner his principles of intellectual emancipation, with which I cannot agree less than he does. Joseph Jacotot lived his intellectual adventure while teaching French to Flemish students. “The return of the Bourbons forced him into exile, and through the generosity of the King of the Netherlands he obtained a professorship on half pay” (Rancière, 1). Joseph Jacotot did not know how to speak Flemish and he had to teach French to his students. He had given his students a book called Telemachus to read until they could recite it. He did not expect the students to understand the book well; it was an experience for Jacotot. After asking his students to write their thoughts about the book in French, he was amazed at the results he got. All the students did an excellent job. This leads Jacotot to reflect: “Were all men virtually capable of understanding what others had done and understood? (2). It is very difficult to accept the fact that everyone can do and understand everything that another person has accomplished, but it is possible. I learned how to restore classic BMWs at the age of fourteen without the help of a mechanic or any other automotive professional. I decided to take apart my 1988 BMW 325e that I had purchased and put it back in mint condition until I got my license. My only information tool I had was...... middle of paper...... his knowledge of five languages, but our willingness to learn gave us both the ability to improve our knowledge. A person can improve their knowledge by themselves. There is no need for a professional or instructor to explain, because you can learn everything you want to learn yourself. It is a person's willingness to learn that builds their knowledge. If one is not willing to learn, even a professional or instructor cannot improve one's knowledge. It is therefore not necessary to have an instructor to improve your knowledge. Everything can be taught to you by yourself, just stay willing and the knowledge will build as you teach yourself. Works cited Rancière, Jacques. The ignorant schoolmaster: five lessons in intellectual emancipation. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 1991. Print.