The Stupidity of the Educated – Education #2

education2_2016_sm

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Educated vs Educated

I get annoyed when ‘college educated’ becomes confused with ‘educated’.  There are many people who have gone to college and graduated, and they are rightly classified as ‘college educated’. But does that mean they are actually educated in the broader sense?  I think there is a strong case to be made that that might not be the case for a good portion of those graduates.

I know this makes me sound like some sort of elite education snob. Guess what? I am an elite education snob. I believe in a full and complete, well-rounded, broadly general and inclusive education. I don’t believe college should just be a ‘major factory’ for business or jobs. For us to have a great civilization it also should be, it needs to be, a incubator for intellectual development and critical thinking in the classic disciplines of a liberal education.

Don’t be fooled though, when I say ‘liberal’ I am not talking about it in the political or social sense. It has nothing to do with liberal vs conservative. I am talking about it’s meaning in education, which is specific. It means a broad based, well-rounded education in multiple disciplines.

Ongoing

But, the argument may be given, you can only learn so much in 4-5 years of college. And you do need to think about it having some practical reasons behind all that money and time being put into it.  I agree with that.  That is one reason why, even if you have the best liberal education possible, it isn’t enough.  It isn’t enough for one very important reason. Proper learning in college should always have as one of its main outcomes the realization that what you know now is not complete.  There will be new discoveries in science, art, math, politics, environment, religion, philosophy and more. The education of the world does not stop when you get your diploma and neither should yours.

A Proposal

I have had this idea for a while. I propose there be college after college.  I don’t mean ongoing education to get mastery in a specific skill or area. I mean tune ups of ideas and information.  I mean going back to relearn and expand what you learned way back when. And to add in new areas where you never learned anything in the first place.

And not only that, but I propose we have another graduation later in life. Perhaps every 10-12 years or so.  32, 42, 52?  Or maybe 28, 38, 48, etc.?  I like the idea of continuing those traditional transitions of our youth into rituals in adulthood as well.  I am not sure of the details, but I like the idea.


Drawing and commentary © 2016 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com

Quote by Will Rogers, 1879 – 1935, American Humorist


 

California, Here I Come!

I am taking off for Los Angeles to speak for the first time at Blog World, a humongous conference on…blogging.  I am speaking at 4pm on Friday. My topic title is: The Napkin Dad Explains: Six Stop Signs on Creativity Road.  Wish me luck!

California

I was raised in California. First on the beach in Del Mar, near San Diego, then up in Los Angeles.  I love LA.  The conference will be downtown and we lived at the beach but we used to drive in a number of times a week so my sister and I could swim with our swim team at the LA Athletic Club.  Bad pollution made breathing hard but besides that I loved it.

I remember the daughter of a movie star was in our swim team, she had red hair I think and I had a crush on her.  The Rolling Stones had a song out back then called ‘Pretty Ballerina’ maybe? Anyway, they had some song that was the song I attached to her. I still think of her whenever I hear that song.

I now live in Oklahoma, thus I can make fun of both states in my drawing today. I love Oklahoma. I haven’t met a daughter of a movie star here, that I know of. But I love it nonetheless.

If you are going to Blog World, make sure to find me and say hi. And of course, COME TO MY PRESENTATION!

Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily

Quote by Will Rogers, 1879-1935, American humorist and movie star from OKLAHOMA.

Read, Observe or Pee – Benefits of Reading #4

Read all about it! It’s the final day of Reading Week at the NDD.
Three types of Men shirt
Three types of Men  Sustainable and Organic T-shirt by The Napkin Dad

Which one are you? Or which one are you married to? Do you think women are the same way?




Quote by Will Rogers, 1879-1935, American humorist. Did you know that Rogers was in the Guinness Book of World Records for successfully throwing 3 lassos at once? 

It’s Not What We Don’t Know That Hurts, It’s What We Know That Ain’t So That Does

“It’s not what we don’t know that hurts, it’s what we know that ain’t so that does.” – Will Rogers

This is SO TRUE! Check out the ‘truth’ of beliefs from the past if you have any doubts. What do we believe in the present that might not be true? Religion? Science? What evidence do you have that what you believe really is true?

Drawing © 2022 Marty Coleman | napkindad.com