Journey to becoming better human being - 50

Why educated do not act like educated?

 

In our casual chitchat, we were discussing about recent wars and roaring business of weapons when Rohit raised a question. “We can hope that educated people would realise the value of human life. Then why citizens of such countries are allowing their leaders to proliferate wars and weapons in their name?” We realised that perhaps they might not be endorsing such acts, but still they seem to surrender in front of the whims of their leaders. Good topic for discussion in our weekly meeting.

 

“It is important to understand the core of Education.”

 

We recollected what we generally discussed about education. We had heard concerns about the forms of education, or the stream of education related to the income potential. We ourselves had so far thought of education as gathering knowledge and information. Perhaps it would involve acquiring certain skills and even building personality or attitudes. Other than that, what could be the core of education?

 

“It has to do with the development of the person or human being.”

 

This seemed common sense to me, and I wondered what was new in this statement. Obviously with education every person develops. At this stage, a question occurred to me about what do we mean by development? And indeed, whether it has to do with the formal education as we understand?

 

“Human being has the faculty to think, feel and act and development of the human being has to do with development of these faculties.”

 

Wow! So, it is not about information which can change from time to time and person to person. Nor is it about gaining earning capabilities. Perhaps that may be the objective in the society and to live within that, one may have to acquire them, but development of the basic faculties is the core of education. It does not end here. Instead it leads to another question. What is the development of the basic faculties mean and how it is to be done? I guess we can start one by one.

 

“Development of thinking faculty would mean non-naïve vision of reality.”

 

Heavy words. I knew it will take some time to internalise the words. Reality is not what we see or hear. Instead for each of us, it is our interpretation of what we see or hear. The fact that money is the most important thing in life is a reality or is my interpretation of what I see around? Life in one country is better than life in another is a reality or my interpretation?

 

What is more is to realise that what I see of hear is a fact or a manipulated propaganda. What happens if I end up in believing all that is advertised as true? Thus, developed thinking would mean ability to separate trivia from substance and meaning from propaganda. It would mean questioning whatever is given as absolute truth. 

 

A basic education would bear in mind the practice of coherent thinking which mean ability to see and sense inconsistency. We talk about sustainability and environment and do nothing to oppose proliferation of nuclear weapon. We talk about human rights and keep quiet when Amnesty report talks about massive cruelty all over the world.

 

“Development of feeling means getting in touch with our feelings and connecting with feeling of others”

 

Some time I am full of enthusiasm and other time drained out. Some time I am excited and other time frustrated. Some time I am gripped with fear and other time driven with enormous courage. Feelings are not related to reason. They exist and they drive. Expression of feelings in different forms like singing, drawing, art with skills of harmony and rhythm, not with a view of getting certified as ‘good art’ but merely as an expression is what is important for each person. At the same time to be able to connect with the feelings of others, often called as connecting heart-to-heart is crucial aspect of development.

 

“Development of action involves ability of harmonious play of one’s body.”

 

The body is the instrument each person has, to act in the world. Its development would mean ability to manoeuvre the body like gymnastics. What is meant here is not for winning in sport or competition but instead managing one’s body and developing mobility.

 

“We are talking about education from the point of view of human being’s formative activities. And not merely about gathering knowledge, data or skills of living and prospering in the social world.”

 

These discussions had been a phenomenal eye-opener. I thought I was educated. But now I realised that my education involved more about earning and survival skills then about development of thinking, feeling and acting abilities. Most of the time I have naïve vision of reality, have been unable to connect with my deep feeling or connect with feeling of others. And rarely have I given attention to the mobility of my body.

 

Educated as I claim, I realise I have miles to go in getting ‘educated’ in human sense. With this new awakening I was leaping ahead in my journey to becoming better human being.