I read this list (written by John Taylor Gatto) on Yes! Magazine and thought I’d share. It just seemed so coherent and honest to me.
Really educated people …
• Establish an individual set of values but recognize those of the surrounding community and of the various cultures of the world.
• Explore their own ancestry, culture, and place.
• Are comfortable being alone, yet understand dynamics between people and form healthy relationships.
• Accept mortality, knowing that every choice affects the generations to come.
• Create new things and find new experiences.
• Think for themselves; observe, analyze, and discover truth without relying on the opinions of others.
• Favor love, curiosity, reverence, and empathy rather than material wealth.
• Choose a vocation that contributes to the common good.
• Enjoy a variety of new places and experiences but identify and cherish a place to call home.
• Express their own voice with confidence.
• Add value to every encounter and every group of which they are a part.
• Always ask: “Who am I? Where are my limits? What are my possibilities?”
Good Morning Caitlin, Thank you kindly for sharing this information with us. Always been a concern of mine . . i’m still a junior in the HR Field and often wondered what it was that intellectuals think about and who they are “after hours” . .great to know that some of my values are aligned with the thinking above. Adding value to every encounter . . . even by mere presence ( universal love??)
Hi Caitlin,
This is a wonderful set of guidelines – I am not sure what it has to do with education. Wisdom and education do not always go hand in hand.