Challenge Topics

Critics are sentinels in the grand army of letters, stationed at the corners of newspapers and reviews, to challenge every new author.
—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)

Good manners, to those one does not love, are no more a breach of truth, than “your humble servant,” at the bottom of a challenge is; they are universally agreed upon, and understand to be things of course. They are necessary guards of the decency and peace of society.
—Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl Chesterfield (1694–1773)

Do your children view themselves as successes or failures? Are they being encouraged to be inquisitive or passive? Are they afraid to challenge authority and to question assumptions? Do they feel comfortable adapting to change? Are they easily discouraged if they cannot arrive at a solution to a problem? The answers to those questions will give you a better appraisal of their education than any list of courses, grades, or test scores.
—Lawrence Kutner (20th century)