The point is that one should be able to get critical distance and begin to truly see one’s culture (and one’s historical position). In a graduation address given by the late novelist David Foster Wallace, he presented the listeners with a parable: There are two young fish swimming side by side, and a much older fish swims by and says, “How’s the water, fellas?” And swims away. Then one of the young fish says to the other, “What the hell is water??” That is what it is like to be uneducated.
One just goes through one’s day and doesn’t question the fact that they are surrounded by people and being influenced by those people. Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Quite right. Where did you get your opinions, your worldview, and your prejudices? Did you draw those conclusions yourself or did you just pick them up like mud on your shoes? Because, if you cannot claim ownership and authorship of what is in your head, then we can ask the very uncomfortable question, Who are you?
Yes, I would say one should read Shakespeare and Plato and Dostoevsky. Yet, one can read great works and not interact with them and therefore remain uneducated. Perhaps similarly, one can rack up all kinds of degrees and certificates and remain uneducated. You might possess technical expertise, you might possess sophistication in your particular field, but this does not mean you are educated. You are schooled and degreed and trained. Not educated. There’s a big difference. I know people with advanced degrees, who would need a map to think their way out of a paper bag.
This is not about smarts.
I don’t put a lot of stock in intelligence. Besides, there are many types: artistic, moral, emotional, and so on. In this culture, smart = good at math. This is a very thin segment of the intelligence spectrum. I know many people who worship Elon Musk. He has some tech smarts, but intellectually, I find him less than vibrant. And his moral intelligence is quite low. My appraisal of him is he's a rather unremarkable individual. Yes, some people can do calculus in their heads. I cannot. I suppose it’s interesting that some people can do that, but it says nothing about that person.
One can have a high IQ, but still be a disgusting human being. It’s like being beautiful. That too says nothing about the person. They just won the genetic lottery—like the math genius. What matters is creativity, insight, and moral intelligence. A sense of curiosity and compassion. And we live in an incurious culture. What matters in this culture is the square footage of your home and where your family vacationed last. Those are the measure of a human being. Needless to say, this is not an educated culture.
For evidence, look at Congress. How did they get those jobs? We gave them those jobs. Now, what does that say about us?
