Self-education is, I firmly believe, the only kind of education there is.

Asimov’s remark elevates learning driven by personal curiosity above schooling as an institution. It suggests that formal education can supply tools—literacy, methods, access to teachers—but that genuine understanding depends on an individual’s sustained, self-directed effort: choosing questions, seeking sources, and revising one’s beliefs. The quote also reflects a democratic view of knowledge: education is not confined to classrooms or credentials but is available wherever a person can read, observe, and think critically. In this sense, “self-education” is not a supplement to education; it is the active core that makes any instruction meaningful and lasting.