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The Ancient Texts That Teach You to Be Human

Reading the classics is a kind of learning that helps you become someone.

Elias Wachtel photo By Elias Wachtel

July 16, 2026

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The Ancient Texts That Teach You to Be Human

The Atlantic • Elias Wachtel

In an age when artificial intelligence can master ever more “useful” skills, the ancient question returns with new force: What is education for? This reflection makes a timely case for the classics as more than knowledge to possess—as an encounter with enduring wisdom that helps shape the kind of human being a child may become.

Elias Wachtel photo

Elias Wachtel

The Atlantic

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