Do you think a better education makes a better person?
By joshua_w
@joshua_w (501)
Malaysia
August 9, 2007 4:45am CST
Recently i came across this discussion asking whether a better educated or higher educated person is a better person than the not so highly-educated. It seems that some highly educated people feels they are superior than the others. A case in point is when two people working in the same office/workplace holding equal position with similar responsibilities. One of them is a highly educated degree holder while the other has to work his/her way up in the company. The person with the degree tends to think higher of him/herself. He even feels that he is better than his peers and has a higher social standing. Does a higher education really makes a better person? Do experience makes a difference then? Or does other qualities count: honesty, kindness, attitude towards people or work? There's a saying that goes "A highly educated person doesn't mean a well educated person". What is your opinion? If you are a highly educated person, i would like to hear your view. And if you are not so highly educated, i would love to hear your point too.
3 people like this
35 responses
@bluishrose (2289)
• Philippines
9 Aug 07
Certificates and diplomas on the wall doesnt necessarily make a person better than the rest. Attitude still counts, there are some people graduated from a highly re[utable university but are airheads in a way boastful, egoistic, and not open minded. Its just a title but still you have to prove your worth. There are some who doesnt have an education but very skillful and knows how to climb his way up the right way. attitude and character are my basis in seeing a person.
2 people like this
@nickventere (1420)
• Zambia
10 Aug 07
That is well-said, I think. You have explained it in the best terms.
2 people like this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 07
Attitude and character are good basis in judging a person. There are many less educated people who achieves great success because of their hardwork and good character. Ya, when we walk into a doctor's room, we see the certs hanging on the wall and it (sometimes) makes us think highly of her/him without knowing who she/he really is as a person. Thanks for giving your comments.
@smartbrain69 (2790)
• Canada
10 Aug 07
I truly believe that education makes a better person, with education you can thinking becomes broader and you know what world is all about. With better education you will get opportunity to work in big companies, it is only through education you will be having higher income and you can visit whole world.
With better education you will get better job and income and you can help other poor peoples in society and you becomes good person.
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
13 Aug 07
You are the first with this opinion who gives a reason for it. Still your point that education does make a better person because then you can have a better life and perhaps help others is valid though. Couldn't disagree with you on that, could i? Thanks so much for giving your view.
@sunshinecup (7871)
•
9 Aug 07
My father in law, who is a certified Genius honest, has a saying that I love and so agree with...
"Don't let your education get in the way of your learning"
I have seen it too many times, those that think if it didn't come out of a book, it's not worth learning. Also those that once school taught them something, that was the truth so nothing new can be accepted. I think wisdom, which is learned from living, is what makes the person.
Wisdom is not taught, but only gained.
@nickventere (1420)
• Zambia
10 Aug 07
I agree with this otion. Actually, some people receive what would be defined as a better education, or even the best education, but usually this is not portrayed by their character. There are better people that never received a better education.
1 person likes this
@tombiz (2036)
• Philippines
23 Aug 07
Wow, that is a very good wisdom from your father in law. Indeed, it is sad that sometimes education could become a big hindrance to learning. Education is never limited to books or classroom attendance. it is never limited to the educational credentials gained for years. In fact, some people can get so rudy all because they think they are much superior than others.
And I must be honest, this could happen to all of us here. There are times that we assumed to know a lot of things only to get red-faced in front of our ignorance.
I am getting that quote. Thanks a lot!
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 07
A very good saying and it's true. It's a shame that many only see learning from a book or what's written on a page and ignore life's lesson. And the education system in my country encourages rote learning to a high degree that students fail to think out of the box. They stop learning once they got out of school. It's a sad fact of life. Thanks for your thoughts.
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
10 Aug 07
As you have specified the case of two people in a work environment, one has to admit that a highly educated person is better than a not so educated person, however hard he may have worked his way up. Say, fo example, if a consultant who has umpteen medals attached to his meritorious c.v and is from Harvard, would he not be considered superior to the less fortunate colleague? If it is qualification it is one thing. All his skills have been honed in the best way and he has obviously got training in the right direction which gives him the sharpness of intellect and application of mind in comparison to the colleague. Here we are talking about a better person as far as his job entails. Now, what you say is right -that a highly educated person need not necessarily be a well educated person because we assume that education builds character also. So, if a highly qualified person lacks basic humanity, compassion, and is arrogant and loathsome the general term used in our regional language is an 'educated fool.'
Regarding other qualities like kindness, and attitude towards people at work we should give what we get. Never be rude, but never be subservient because this world is a merciless world that will take good people for granted and cannot respect them . That is why mild aggression is a desired quality.
Strictly speaking, higher education should broaden vision and outlook but much depends on upbringing. Herein enters the proper sense of values, which unfortunately people lose sight of, in this fast moving commercial world.
I feel that we can never change others, but will only have to do what it takes to improve ourselves and maintain our balance and peace of mind.
Coming back to the question higher education does train and make a person think clearly and listen to reason[most of the time;-bigoted persons can never be changed] It helps the person analyse various aspects of an issue and come to a conclusion.So, a well educated person with a higher qualification is better than a less educated person, provided he is a good human being-we assume that education trains us to be good human beings.
1 person likes this
@kalav56 (11464)
• India
30 Aug 07
Probably I am slightly outdated because the moment I started writing this I was reminded of Sir Richard Livingston's views on education,[building character] that I studied in college long back[year 1977 '78]. Personally, I believe that I owe a lot to my school and college for the kind of person I am--my son jokingly says that I would have been normal had not education ruined me. It is nice to share our thoughts.
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
13 Aug 07
Wow, that was a long one. Education builds character, as you assume. If it's formal education you're talking about, i don't think it does. Not in these days or at least not so much in my country. Formal education teaches facts and rote-learning if you ask me. It teaches one to pass exams and in flying-colours too. Anything less is considered failure. Basic human qualities like kindness and compassion, honesty and attitudes are not taught to us by the education system but rather taught by our parent or learnt on our own, mostly through experience. I agree that we can never change another but we can be the change ourselves and hopefully change the ones we loved for the better, in that way. And your ideal of Education teaching us to be better human beings is what we all look forward to. Thanks for your sharing your thoughts.
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
23 Aug 07
I don't think it makes you a better person or detrmines the degree of success in work. You can be an outstanding person without formal education - highly intelligent, or creative or compassionate any number of great attributes.
Plenty of college grads are working in the food industry and plenty of high school drop out have good jobs and make a good salary. Their are examples of wealthy entrepreneurs through out history who never graduated highschool - sometimes junior high. And its true, you can be self educated and be smarter then a college student because you can be well educated - but only taught to learn rote - to memorize, get tested then forget.
Its a gray area, and really is determined by the individual.
Joshua - you have chosen an excellent, thought provoking discussion. :)
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
24 Aug 07
In addition, these kids are learning how to memorize the facts, empty out their heads for the test, and then the facts are forgotten.
What I see, many times, is kids who get multiple degree, when they graduate - they never had or gained other important attribues - or sadly, don't have the right cut business suit - and they wind up serving food at some restaraunt or fast food place. While others, who haven't the amount of education they have, have been in the working world all this time, gaining knowledge and experience, so that even if these new graduates to get an entry level position (starting at the bottom after spending years in school) their boss - or even the president of the company, had very little schooling, but spent their time working.
My mom, who was raised to be a wife and mother, became a single mom. She took a few years of school at community college and worked her way up in a short time to Vice-President of International Development for an engineering firm which contracted to the World Bank and the State Department. She traveled the world, with very little education - and none of it fancy colleges. She was an expert negotiator - because of people skills she'd had all of her life. Of course, she was working for an Indian owned firm, so a few years after starting, they gave her a male assistant whom they started on a salary 10,000 more.
So this shows that not only is education a factor, but your gender, experience, world knowledge, your skill with people - which some learn, some are born with and sometimes your style are all factores on what will get you a job, a what forms you as a person better or worse.
Sorry for the lengthy response but it is really an interesting topic.
1 person likes this
@artemis432 (7474)
• Abernathy, Texas
24 Aug 07
My brother is another great example. He never even graduated high school - was like one credit away when he started working in the security business. Though dyslexic, he reads schematics that I totally don't understand. His firm does high end security - you know like camaras in tiny places like inside thermastats. Cutting edge stuff. He now makes a high six figure salary, and like my mom travels the world.
He's now starting his own business - when he has time as his normal work takes a lot of time and his family life is very important. Though he didn't receive formal education, he is a very good friend, brother, father and husband. Ethical, fair, firm and highly intelligent.
1 person likes this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
24 Aug 07
Many here shares the same view as yours. From what you'd written here, i gather that most formal education system focuses on the learning of facts and less on the knowledge of values. Maybe facts are more easily quantifiable than abstract subjects like values and morals. Thanks for your valuable views.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
14 Aug 07
A 17th century French philosopher named Montagne is famous for having pointed out that a person can be highly educated without having good manners or a high moral compass. So while an education is useful in many ways, it is not proof that a person is of high character, nor are people who were not fortunate enough to gotten a good formal education therefore likely to have low character.
My experience, however, has proven that there are a few distinct advantages to having had a formal and highly structured education. The first and most important advantage, I think, is that we can draw somewhat more easily on the experience of other people who have endured various kinds of hardship, so that when faced with adversity in our own lives, we can sail right over it. For example, knowing that not only hundreds, but thousands of people have overcome great obstacles and yet gone on to make wonderful contributions to society makes me see the triviality of my own predicaments.
Secondly, a formal education sharpens one's ability to reason logically and to objectively evaluate life's options, and to be in the habit of doing so expeditiously. This gives us the freedom to live more autonomously, with less likelihood of being manipulated, tricked, or used by others.
Finally, although most people I know from all walks of life would quickly chose honor over wealth, and good health over fame, and happiness over material goods, there is little question that having many skills and much intellectual experience pretty much insures freedom from want. Freedom from want, in turn, allows a person more leisure time in which to help others, take a moral stance, invent something to benefit humanity, paint a picture, write a poem...and the list goes on.
Montagne also said "It is necessary to give to others in order to gain for one's self." Some people know this intuitively. Others might read about this concept in a college textbook and say, "Wow, here are some good thoughts that might help me live better!" It is certainly true that many self-educated or even uneducated people are very giving, but I do think that a proper formal education puts one in a position to be generous with less personal sacrifice.
@tombiz (2036)
• Philippines
22 Aug 07
My parents and grandparents were not educated in the usual school set-up but they are one of the best citizens of my country because they got the traditional values passed from one generation into another. It is sad that in my generation interventions from many sources lead to the corrupting of these values.
Education refers not just to the formal schooling where you can get the legal credentials needed, but it also refers to all the lessons we all learned in life.
As far as managing life is concerned, I think the past generations though lacking in formal education, are actually more educated than us today.
1 person likes this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
15 Aug 07
You have written a very thoughtful and well-written piece there. I read through it a few times just to fully understand the things you said in there and don't even know how to reply to your post here. So, i'm just going to comment on your last sentence. Many times i had encountered people who are less educated (my parents are an example), and most, if not all of them are very giving people. They do not hesitate to ask if you need any help and when you think about it, here are people who themselves need all the help they can get, and yet they're offering their genuine intention to help others. It touches the heart. I'm assuming you mean someone with a formal education is in a position to be generous with less personal sacrifice as a person who is highly educated and financially stable. If that is so, then a highly educated person does have more "opportunities" to become a better person than the "not-so-educated". He should be more aware of the choices he had in life whereas his counterparts are limited in their choices. So here's an analogy, if both an educated and uneducated person commits a wrongdoing, can we say the educated one is heavier of guilt since he had the intellect to differentiate between right or wrong?
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
24 Aug 07
Congratulations, Tombiz, on having parents and grandparents who passed down good family values. I agree with what you are saying here.
And Joshua, I do think, personally, that for the most part people of less means are probably more generous than those with more, but for those with less, giving becomes something of an either or proposition, whereas people who have more material goods can "have their cake and eat it too" to borrow a phrase, meaning that they can give a lot and still have a lot left for themselves. And of course, this does not apply just to "things" for as Tombiz points out, values are just as important.
1 person likes this
@friendship (2084)
• Canada
22 Aug 07
A higher education can help someone think and act better but it is not always like that. Because there are other factors that will also determine whether somoene is going to be a better person or not. Those factors are their upbringing, cultures, and characters. You can't change someone overnight. Characters, for instance can't be changed at all. It is already intact into someone's personality. Also, you can't change someone who has lived in a certain culture to follow other tradition unless he has his own awareness to change it. Upbringing can also play an important role in developing someone's personality.
1 person likes this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
24 Aug 07
A worthy thought you had. Just a thought: Could education change someone who has a wicked or evil personality? Or could that person uses his newfound knowledge to further his evil means?
History had taught us of many (supposedly) highly-educated or "knowledgeable" men who commits the most heinous crimes against their own kinds. So, you may be right. A good person does not mean they must be educated. From all the views gathered on this subject, i assume most MyLotters know this already. But we must not discount the possibilities that education does have the power to change a person's perspective of life and in a way helps him/her to become a better person. Again, thanks for sharing.
@tombiz (2036)
• Philippines
22 Aug 07
In some ways yes but not at all times. I think it is not education that propel a person to elevate himself into a higher pedestal than his companions. It is in fact the credentials that he amassed for himself.
I believe that education should have lead us to great understanding of life, meaning it should open our minds for others and to become better people not just for ourselves but also for our fellow human beings.
But I think there is a big failure on our educational system to mold people into the right direction. Instead, education has become a two-edged swords that could also destroy and not just build.
Sad to say, that we have already the most magnificent development in all areas of human endeavors. Unfortunately, man is never equipped by himself to have the necessary moral ground in the present world.
Education has its own success and also failure.
1 person likes this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
24 Aug 07
A very strong opinion there. Do not know of other countries educational system but the ones in my own emphasized more on knowledge of facts and (very much) less on critical, creative and values thinking. I'm still pondering about your statement that "man is never equipped by himself to have the necessary moral ground in the present world". Thanks for sharing your views on this.
@wonderful1 (2075)
• China
9 Aug 07
The first thing is that what is a better education you called and the second is what is a better person.
A better education in my view is that a student can contributed to his country with his knowledge and he is also a kind person.
A better person is a kind person, although he has lots of faults. There is no one who has no faults at all.
There are lots of people with lots of knowledge who don't help others at all. they are not better persons in my view.
1 person likes this
@nickventere (1420)
• Zambia
10 Aug 07
I think so, too: you have to define, ifrst of all, who is a better person and what is a better education.
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 07
Hey, i liked your last thoughts on this. Yes, there are many who has much knowledge and hold high position in life. They have the power to change society for the better. Yet, they do not help those who are needy and poor. But for those who did, they have our utmost respect. And i totally agree with you that a kind person is a much better human being than someone's who is not, irregardless of his/her education level. Thank you so much for your comments.
@angruberts (29)
• United States
10 Aug 07
no i don't the reason i say this is because my husband is a wonderful person and will help anyone in need and yet he can't read above a third grade level even though he is a high school grad and a grad of lsu for firefighting he still couldn't read because he had a great memory and memorized everything someone else read to him noone ever cared enough about him to even realized it coming from a broken home and an abusive father he is a wonderful husband and father to our four kids he is also a very hard worker so know i don't think the education makes a person better its that persons attitude and personality
1 person likes this
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
13 Aug 07
Sorry, there seems to be an error while loading. Here's my comment. People often judge others by their appearance these days. I have met some wonderful people who are not so educated, yet they are so real and sincere. They are polite to people. And then i have come across those educated people who put on a fake air of superiority. They think that, with their education, they're above all others. Once again, thanks for your insight, angruberts.
@xiuluoelly (1224)
• China
31 Aug 07
I think the assessment of a person outstanding, and his level of education are not directly related to the extent, of course, higher education teach people something rewarding than most people, but this does not represent their superior than others.
1 person likes this
@jingbautista (2456)
• Philippines
30 Aug 07
for me,better education really makes a better person. however, it should not be a basis to be superior to others, but instead it should and must be an avenue to help others, not lording it over but to be humble in dealing with everynone else. education does make us better, but attitudes really counts. let us focus then on our attitude for it is the real basis to make a person better.
1 person likes this
@alkaqureshi (5)
• India
10 Aug 07
I believe that education does make one's mind open to new ideas and helps a person better understand the world. However A highly educated person does not neccessarily be a better person cause a better person is the large-hearted one and goodness of heart is an inheritent trait which no amount of education can bring about.
1 person likes this
@lilaclady (28207)
• Australia
10 Aug 07
To me education can be a piece of paper with a lot of facts stored in the brain. I don't care what degrees people have, none of it is worth a thing if they don't have common sense and common sense is something they don't teach in any school or University. As far as work places are concerned I think a lot of people these days get on by knowing the right people or by stepping on other people. This happens quite often particularly in Government departments.
1 person likes this
@rogue13xmen13 (14402)
• United States
10 Aug 07
That depends, some people who have an education have a "high and mighty" attitude. I am not saying not to get an education, I am just saying, "Don't let it get to your head."
@livvy092002 (1032)
• Philippines
10 Aug 07
I agree with other one, "A highly educated person doesn't mean a well educated person." There are lots of people who are highly educated but doesn't use their knowledge for the good.. Yes at work, a high education matters but a person's character and attitude towards work and peers also matters equally.. honesty, kindness, attitude, integrity, resourcefulness, initiative are also some qualities that are most important at work and in life in general.. one may be less educated because of life's circumstances but it doesn't make him an inferior being.. as long as a person's moral values is upright, i believe i will admire him more than i will admire a person with a higher educational attainment but with a questionnable character..
Sometimes and maybe even most of the times, a person learns his values as he experience life and not only because of his education.. yes a good education can help a person become better but it is a person's values that determine his character..and i think his character is most important.
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
13 Aug 07
A very well said comment. Life circumstances does determines our education level but that often does not stop a person from learning through experience. A formal education only forms a small proportion of a person's outlook in life, i believe. Many people will agree with you that a morally upright person will win people's heart more than someone with a dubious character. Values like honesty, kindness will never become obsolete no matter what age we lived in. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
@ayris77 (1301)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 07
Logicly for the previous century,before 2000 is yes, but today the better education is not the ticket to be abetter person.Because the one who has a better education today sometimes doesn'y give an appreciate to the unbetter education person! I'm also dont know why.Maybe the ends of the world is so closed!
1 person likes this
@zandi458 (28102)
• Malaysia
10 Aug 07
A man of knowledge can survive anywhere in the world. It does not necessary make him a better person. Sometimes when we have a lot of knowledge, it can go to our head and lead to pride and arrogance. Together with worldly knowledge, we also need spiritual knowledge to remain humble and level-headed.
@joshua_w (501)
• Malaysia
13 Aug 07
Have to concur with your first point there. Once read that there are three knowledge which are present in everyone: Material, Mental and Spiritual. It is up to us to choose which one we want to develop further. Some say we may know all about the world and its workings but we fail to know about our self. Thanks for writing.