What Does It Mean To Be An Educated Person

What does it mean to be an educated person? This question can be answered in many different ways depending on who you ask. Personally I believe an educated person is someone who has obtained and uses knowledge and skills in a specific content area. They do not have to have their masters or doctor to qualify them as an educated person. My grandfather did not finish high school, intact he did not complete the 10th grade, but I feel he is an educated person based on these skills he has for construction, he understanding of the written word, and his impeccable problem solving skills. Alfie Kohn talked about his ex-wife spending 29 years in school, but was horrible at grammar and would panic if she was asked what 8 times 7 is! “What she lacks didn’t prevent her from becoming a high-functioning, multiply credentialed, professionally successful

William Cronon give a list of what he thought was some qualities of an educated person. Some Cronon wrote about was “They read and they understand”, it’s no shock most people learn to read or at least increase their knowledge of reading in school, from elementary school to the day you die you will use reading as a tool in life. But what is it to say you have to be educated by a college to read and understand difficult material. My grandfather did not finish high school and yet he is the only person I know who can sit down and read the Wall Street Journal cover to cover and know what is going on, he invests his money stocks which he does quite well at. He did not learn these skills in college, but I feel he is an educated person. Cronon lists another quality as “they can talk with anyone”, yes it’s true in most colleges you are required to take a speech class, but just because you did not take a speech class in college or high school, should not label you as an uneducated person. People learn to talk as young children, if you can jump up infant of a random group of people and give a speech; it does not make