Education and the Mind

Education gives life to the mind. Education is more than a "formal" process; It is experience, information gathering, analysis, and a synthesis of analyzed information. Last, there is an evaluation, an answer to the question, "so what?". Education is usually an outcome of an intended approach to the World.

I do not deny the place of serendipity in education, in scientific exploration and outcomes, by accident. The intent to discover is there. The outcome is there. But the learner's focus on the selected outcome is not there with serendipity. Serendipity is accidental learning and OK. It is not part of what I am writing about. I am writing about a concerted effort of broad design.

Look to the philosopher Eric Hoffer for one example of what I am talking about. His formal education was "poor," by current standards, but he was an "educated" man by most standards. Read The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements and you will see what I mean. He worked as a longshoreman for many years, but he found time to expand and enrich his mind by reading and writing. He committed himself to understanding the World, human affairs, by analyzing it after studying. Then he synthesized his information by writing about his thoughts. He answered a serious question about mass movements and fanaticism. He was named "America's philosopher" by President Johnson.

I neglect my education at times. Sure, if I listen to the radio, I listen to non-commercial radio and hear critical, useful information, but the intent is not there. The intent to "educate" myself, that is. I watch public broadcasting for entertainment, but the intent is not there. I tell myself, "Well, these sources of entertainment and information are not from the commercial World, not of corporate design," but the intent is not there in my mind. Perhaps I evaluate too soon, before gaining the insight offered by analyzing and synthesizing my information thoroughly.

So I forget or somehow deny how important it is to pursue education with an intended approach. Remembering people like Eric Hoffer is important for me, then. I, like others, need a role model to help educate myself. How can I neglect Helen Keller's story and so many others who were so well educated, and not "formally."

Education is very important, and there is no reason to avoid it unless the learner prefers a state of ignorance festering on ignorance. Ignorance does not feed the mind, it warps the mind. An ignorant answer to the question "so what?" produces a poor outcome.

An educated life enriches the mind. An educated life gathers useful information about the World, nature. It analyzes this information and then synthesizes before making an evaluation of what it means.
I will do better.

So it goes.
Eddie Evans