In September, 2018, I wrote a post entitled “Getting an Education,” which essentially stressed that education entailed much more than book learning.  Since then I came across two quotes by George Santayana (1863—1952), an American philosopher.  I wished that I had included them in that post; namely:

— “ A child educated only at home is an uneducated child.”  

— “The great difficulty in education is to get experience out of ideas.” 

The parents who home school their children, for whatever reasons, would forcefully object to the first, but few would challenge the second.  The Santayana quote emphasized the importance of educating the whole child beyond the book learning experience.  A child must be able to meet challenges on their own, to learn how to relate with fellow children, and to embark on adventures where the outcome remains uncertain.

With the modern day high cost of college education, a current debate queries: Is the cost of a college education worth it?  Many college drop-outs have became immensely successful entrepreneurs, including the founder of Microsoft.  A well-known Marquette University basketball coach opined that it was, but with an important qualification: 

—“ I think everyone should go to college and get a degree and then spend six months as a bartender and six months as a cab driver.  Then they would be really educated.”  Al McGuire, American Basketball Hall of Fame coach (1928—2001)

But not all modern experience can be beneficial, such as spending too much time on the Internet engaging social media seeking “like” comments from friends or playing incessant video games.  Such activities may become an addiction.  Recently, The World Health Organization (WHO) have recognized a new disorder:  “Internet Gaming Disorder”, which reduces one’s desire for knowledge.  [“Gaming Disorder Identified by World Health Organization,” by Mike Brooks Ph.D. psychologytoday.com, posted June 29, 2018. 

Lastly, the American folksinger, Pete Seeger (1919—2014) waxed eloquently on the difference between education and experience:

— “Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don’t.”