It’s safe to say that most of us would agree with the popular aphorism “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That unforgettable phrase first entered the collective American mind in 1972 as the slogan for UNCF ads, helping that worthy organization raise billions of dollars in scholarships for African American college students. It has since become part of the American vernacular, expressing a truth that resonates for all thinking people: Every mind is valuable and worthy of investment and development. It also suggests that the mind is a renewable resource, or, as Leonardo da Vinci quipped (though not in English), “Learning never exhausts the mind.” In other words, the more we invest in the mind, the more it will give back.
