Today's quote from Adam Smith (his view on university teachers)

If the teacher happens to be a man of sense, it must be an unpleasant
thing to him to be conscious, while he is lecturing to his students,
that he is either speaking or reading nonsense, or what is very little
better than nonsense. It must, too, be unpleasant to him to observe,
that the greater part of his students desert his lectures; or perhaps,
attend upon them with plain enough marks of neglect, contempt, and
derision. If he is obliged, therefore, to give a certain number of
lectures, these motives alone, without any other interest, might
dispose him to take some pains to give tolerably good ones. Several
different expedients, however, may be fallen upon, which will
effectually blunt the edge of all those incitements to diligence. The
teacher, instead of explaining to his pupils himself the science in
which he proposes to instruct them, may read some book upon it; and if
this book is written in a foreign and dead language, by interpreting
it to them into their own, or, what would give him still less trouble,
by making them interpret it to him, and by now and then making an
occasional remark upon it, he may flatter himself that he is giving a
lecture. The slightest degree of knowledge and application will enable
him to do this, without exposing himself to contempt or derision, by
saying any thing that is really foolish, absurd, or ridiculous. The
discipline of the college, at the same time, may enable him to force
all his pupils to the most regular attendance upon his sham lecture,
and to maintain the most decent and respectful behaviour during the
whole time of the performance.