Why become educated? What does education give you that you really need?
I think education can give us many things. It may bring us:
Choices
Happiness
Money
Opportunities
Good Health
Etc...
However, we have no guarantees we will have more choices, be happier, make more money, have more opportunities or enjoy greater health if we become educated.
So why get educated?
Because
it
gives
us
confidence
and with confidence we can achieve many things.
When we learn something really well, our chests swell with pride as we describe or demonstrate our new interest with passion. We can use our confidence in a boastful way or in a productive way. What we do with that confidence is up to us. You may choose to use it to search for more choices in life, more happiness, more money, more opportunities and greater health. Or, you may not. It’s up to you.
Any thoughts?
Great post...and great question.
ReplyDeleteI've thought about this same question many times in the last 5 years...why do we "educate" our children?
Confidence may be another way to frame the idea of giving our children "control" over their lives. In whichever type of community you're a part of, it's the person with the greatest perspective, the one who understands the most about the greatest number of things, who has the most control over their own lives. Very much like a chess game, there is a world of difference between being a pawn and being the person who is playing the game knowing the movements of all the pieces.
I'm avoiding the idea of "power" because I think it implies force and coersion, which I don't think education necessarily gives you. Education, to me, is about learning where you are in the world and making as many connections to those around you as you can.
I agree quality education instills confidence.
ReplyDeleteI also think quality education provides a love of learning as well as experience on *how* to learn. So that no matter how the world changes (and it will!) the educated will continue to learn what needs to be learned.
I really liked how your post didn't mention schools. Because much of education doesn't take place in the classroom.
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