We have a serious disconnect in America concerning what it means to be “educated”. Most people think “college” when they think educated, and therefore millions of college students trudge along, looking to earn a degree that may or may not have earning potential, amassing a ton of student loans along the way.
We think of this college degree as a golden ticket to a life of purpose, meaning, and wealth. I think most people would not consider a person “educated” unless they graduated from the right school. I assume people would think I’m moderately educated because (over 20 years ago) I graduated from a “top-tier” school, according to the U.S. News and World Report. As such, parents push their kids to meet the arbitrary standards set by teachers at public schools, whether or not their kid is interested in that particular subject.
The need to get into the “right” school pushes parents to demand excellence in their kids in the pursuit of “A’s”. In a certain way, this is awesome, as every parent should demand excellence in their kids, and every man should strive for excellence in his life. On the other hand, I think if we’re honest the excellence we’re striving for is not learning that is aimed at (a) generating career success; (b) making one a better citizen; (c) developing spiritual awareness or questions; or (d) acquiring useful knowledge. Instead, modern education demands that students learn facts (and frankly harmful propaganda) that are designed to push them into an educational mill with the idea of getting spit out with the vaunted “degree”, whether or not that degree ends up serving any purpose in their life.
However, one must also admit that our current education is not all downside. We often make the mistake of saying that we never use anything we learned in school in our daily lives. That’s not true at all. I can point to several things I’ve learned in school that still apply today in my personal life and my career as a CFO. For instance, algebra word problems still come up for me all the time as I try to solve financial questions. Frankly, much of my problem-solving skills in general end up being derivative from math problem-solving at all levels. My ability to quickly learn new concepts, laws, regulations, policies, etc. and apply them to our current business are all skills I learned in science, where I had to learn new terms, rules, etc. in biology, chemistry, and physics to apply to a set of test problems. Oddly, I can point to a Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald class in college taught by a professor whose name I’ve long since forgotten, as instructive on how to analyze the words on an author’s page in order to help develop my own philosophy on life (rather than adopt the author’s philosophy as my own).
But let’s admit it. There’s a good deal wrong with our education system, especially as it applies to young men. I really don’t think it prepares them to be good husbands, fathers, and citizens. It certainly doesn’t prepare them to be good Christians, even at most Christian schools. I went to a Catholic law school without any discussion regarding the application of the 10 Commandments, the foundational legal text of Western Civilization. However, I think the problem with education ultimately begins (as most problems do) with us as men. We see the diploma itself as the end goal, rather than the pursuit of useful knowledge. We also view someone with that diploma as educated, rather than demand that person actually has accumulated wisdom.
Look, school is important, and you should learn something along the way. But the vast majority of even college-educated people quit learning the moment they graduate. It’s shocking to read studies on how little Americans read. I saw a Pew Research study that the median (typical) American reads 4 books per year. That’s not going to get it done! Think about how much time that typical American probably spends on TV and social media. No wonder most Americans are so broke, lazy, and immoral.
Let’s try to arrive at a better definition of education. Education is a lifelong habit of the accumulation of wisdom, with the aim of becoming a better citizen. It goes beyond college. Sure, some of that wisdom should help you with your career. It’s extremely important to learn math, science, english, etc. in order to function properly at a job. But it’s just as important that it helps you become a better Christian, husband, father, friend, and member of your community. It’s just as important to your status as a man to learn about emergency tire changes as it is to learn about STEM subjects.
The biggest key to becoming educated is getting into the habit of reading daily. That learning must be lifelong, rather than ending upon the receipt of some sort of a degree. You should be getting wiser each passing day, even after college is over. How do you go about that? First, you must strive to be a lifelong reader. Almost every successful person I’ve ever met is a voracious reader, and they focus on useful information, rather than smut.
Most Americans are avid readers, but the reality is that they read the wrong stuff. They spend their time scrolling useless dribble on the latest social media platform. Back when I was a kid (in the dark ages before social media), everyone would read the latest teen magazines, which were just as much useless crap as social media posts. An important concept is to watch what goes into your mind, as it will find its way into your thoughts and therefore your actions. Therefore, you must have a system for determining how you pick your reading material. You need to focus on acquiring useful information, not useless stuff.
The first measure of value in choosing your reading material is the amount of effort it took for the author to put it together. At a minimum, you should focus your reading efforts on books rather than social media posts, blog posts, magazine and newspaper articles, etc. An author who’s willing to take the time, effort, and expense to write, proof, and publish a book likely has something to say. While there’s a lot of crap books out there, a book is at least evidence that there’s something of value there to put into your mind. Social media posts, for instance, take basically no time to write, require no reflection, and may not even be something the author is ultimately proud of producing. Witness the mass of people who regret “tweets” they’ve made in the past. Don’t participate or spend your time reading that stuff.
Instead, focus on books, as you know there’s been some serious effort there by the author. Also, realize that it’s a lot easier to tell whether a book is good or not after 10 years of it being in print. That’s because you can figure out whether it’s remained popular after all that time, or faded away. There are some incredibly popular books that are deemed revolutionary in the short run, only to peter out over time. Then there are classics that hold their value over long periods of time. OK, so where do you start? After all, it’s obviously important that you choose your reading material wisely.
I think it’s crucial to understand the morality advice of Jesus (start with the Beatitudes) as a framework for all other learning subsequent. We tend to underestimate how revolutionary Jesus’ thought process was, and the impact it’s had since being written. This advice holds even if you’re not currently a believing, practicing Christian. The information is that important, make sure you read it. The Bible is a framework for understanding how the world works and your proper response. In the Book of Proverbs, King Solomon (the wisest person to that point) tells us “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, Proverbs 1:7.” If you don’t start with the appropriate understanding of how the world works, which can only be learned through reviewing the Bible, you’re going to have a tough time developing wisdom no matter how much knowledge you acquire. That’s why you see some remarkably smart people saying foolish things, why postmodern thought has taken a hold of society, and why we have silly arguments about things like whether there’s more than 2 genders.
Make sure you set the proper framework of learning by devoting a good portion of your learning to a review of the Bible. It’s best to set aside some time each morning for this study, it’s that important. Don’t just read the Bible, but also treatises on the various books of the Bible by a variety of well researched pastors and authors. Don’t overlook this step, but make sure you spend a great deal of time getting versed in the good book. After all, BIBLE stands for Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I’ve found a ton of benefit reading analysis of the Bible by authors like N.T. Wright, R.C. Sproul, C.S. Lewis, R.K. Chesterton, and Charles Swindoll.
But as robust as the Bible is, you can’t rely on it alone. What else should you be reading? Books in your career area are a great start. As a CFO, I’m constantly reading books about business, M&A, accounting, and law. I’m also reading peripheral books about computers, robotics, marketing, etc. trying to gain an edge that can help me bring value to our company. I read magazine and news articles as well, to stay current, but I always take those with a grain of salt due to the principle of how hard it was for the author to produce those articles. They’re usually spit out quickly and designed to grab attention rather than convey useful information.
But it’s important to go beyond work with your reading. Biographies and history books are really important as well. I’ve always got a lot out of biographies of great men like George Washington, Winston Churchill, Theodore Roosevelt, etc. as it’s a good idea to learn about the habits and thought processes of great men in the past. Strategies employed, and how decisions were made in historical contexts is always good information to have that will be applicable in your own life. It’s important to read a lot about important historical events like wars, economic and business events, and nation formations and falls. For some reason, when it applies to business history, I’ve always found autobiographies of great businessmen to be very useful, particularly in the period of the 2nd half of the 20th century.
There’s a ton of other useful book subjects beyond business and history. Philosophy is another important subject. Classics like Plato and Aristotle are great but don’t neglect news stuff as well. It’s important to understand different frameworks of “how” to think. Scientific books are very interesting. Self-help books are important, but really watch it here, there’s a lot of charlatans out there. I like the classics, Zig Ziglar, Tony Robbins, and anything by Jim Rohn (look for the laters classroom videos on YouTube). Fitness, health, and diet books are important for learning about how to properly take care of your body. Even fiction can be great, as it’s an excellent way for expanding your creative side. As you can see, there are several genres and an endless array of subjects for a man to engage in. Make sure you get into the habit of constantly devouring books, at least 1-2 per month at a minimum.
I’m also a fan of reading a lot of fiction, as this helps expand one’s imagination and develop a more thorough vocabulary. One of the benefits of reading a lot is that you’ll become a better writer as well, which is important for communicating your thoughts, particularly in email. Your reputation as wise, smart, educated, etc. will be determined by how you interact with people in spoken and written words. Make sure you’re becoming ever more clear and concise in your manner of speech. I think often reading fiction is the best way to develop better oral and written speech patterns. But with all reading, make sure you’re taking note of interesting phrases and word combinations, and incorporate those into your own use.
You should also look to invest in your profession by taking seminars and workshops in your area of expertise. These events will usually provide information in a high-energy setting while allowing you also to network in your line of work. You need to do some digging here to make sure you’re attending high-quality events, but these can be really good for your development.
Furthermore, workshops for life outside of work in marriage, Christian faith, self-defense, health, etc. are all worthwhile pursuits that can make you a better overall man. It is worth investing some time and money in subjects that will enhance your life and make you a better man, husband, father, and citizen. You’ll often find these offered for a very low cost at your local church. For instance, the Dave Ramsey financial classes have helped millions of people get out of debt and become financially independent and responsible. Most churches offer a number of other such classes as well, which will put you into contact with others who are looking to improve themselves.
There’s also now a lot of virtual options for learning. You can take classes from all around the world on an infinite number of topics from the convenience of your own home. I’m always a little skeptical of virtual anything, as I feel in-person interaction is always best, but these virtual class options are great for learning specific subjects. For instance, the online class company Coursera offers college classes on a variety of subjects for a remarkably low price. Make sure you check out all the educational options available to you.
It’s imperative that you think beyond college in terms of becoming “educated”. Yes, college is an important consideration, but it’s frankly not even a requirement for being educated. Furthermore, one’s education certainly does not stop once one receives a diploma. Lifelong learning is crucial to one’s development as a man. Turn off the TV, put down the phone, and pick up a book. Make sure you’re reading the right books, listening to the right books, and filling your mind with positive information designed to make you a wiser man. It’ll certainly help you in your career but will improve your value as a husband, father, and citizen.