Your comment has definitely opened my eyes even more to how education is defined. I am pretty much at loss for words by the story of your educational journey. It’s definitely not very often we see someone so passionate about the simple act of learning; it’s really refreshing to me to hear from someone who isn’t always racing to achieve some goal without thinking about what it really means to them and how is it helping them spiritually. Life isn’t always a race!

And that’s the problem with education: people see it as a means to and end… a race to achieve the ability to accumulate material goods and prestige. It’s not seen as a journey or a way to enhance ourselves spiritually at all. I often hear a lot of people say there’s no such thing as too much education but often I wonder how they see education. A lot of people also believe that education is overrated and there IS such a thing as too much education; I also wonder what’s going on there in their relationship with education. To top it all, there is so much wrong with schooling that the educational system (in the U.S., at least), needs to be seriously overhauled. Education isn’t enjoyable for many people anymore and I think the main culprit is the standardization/institutionalization/compartmentalization of education.

There’s a lot more I could add to this, but I think I’ll keep it short, lest I write another post within a post But seriously, I really thank you for dropping by and sharing your experiences and your reading. I hope to hear more from you and I’ll be checking out your blog as well.

I just came across your blog and read this post which I found both stimulating, eloquent and genuinely enlightening – thank you!
I can certainly identify with your struggles – I started studying at 19, switching between widely disparate subjects (from sociology to biology to vocational agriculture to nursing, add about 5 other fields) every one to two years until my 32nd year, taking a couple of year’s leave in between to experience living in a materially poor (but spiritually vibrant) Central American country (Honduras). At 32 I began studying Arabic, which I got my Master’s in at 39. I got my first job at 37 (as a teacher of Norwegian to adult immigrants). Presently I’m studying to obtain a teacher’s license (for teaching English and Social Science in Secondary and High School), and it seems this will be the profession I’m settling for!

In our present age of postmodernist values, which includes rejecting the idea that any intellectual or moral authority should exist whatsoever, I know that I am going against the grain by quoting several passages from a single source. The reference, though, I seems of particular relevance to the context of your post. It refers to the “current paradigm for economic development”–into which I read, as much, the concept of /personal/ development. The following proposal seemed to resonate with the experiences you have kindly related: “meaningful work is a basic need of the human soul, as important to the proper development of the individual as nutritious food, clean water and fresh air are to the physical body.”

Greetings from Oslo!

(From the statement “Turning Point For All Nations”, ch. IV, A. “Promoting Economic Development” http://info.bahai.org/article-1-7-5-1.html#IV)
“A dispassionate examination of these factors betrays a common systematic and fundamental flaw in the current paradigm for economic development: material needs are often addressed without taking into account the spiritual factors and their motivating power.

“Development should not become confused with the creation of an unsustainable consumer society. True prosperity encompasses spiritual as well as material well-being. Food, drink, shelter and a degree of material comfort are essential, but human beings cannot and never will find fulfillment in these necessities. Nor is contentment to be found in the somewhat more intangible material attainments such as social recognition or political power. Ultimately, not even intellectual achievement satisfies our deepest needs.

“It is in the hunger for something more, something beyond ourselves, that the reality of the human spirit can be properly understood. Although the spiritual side of our nature is obscured by the day-to-day struggle for material attainment, our need for the transcendent cannot long be disregarded. Thus a sustainable development paradigm must address both the spiritual aspirations of human beings and their material needs and desires.

“Education is the best investment in economic development….”Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.”30 Education implies more than a process of mastering a narrow body of knowledge or learning a set of life skills. In truth, education, which should be a fundamental imperative of development, must also teach the process for knowledge acquisition, cultivate the powers of intellect and reasoning, and infuse the student with indispensable moral qualities.

“It is this comprehensive approach to education that allows people to contribute to the creation of wealth and encourage its just distribution. 31

“Genuine wealth is created when work is undertaken not simply as a means of earning a livelihood but also as a way to contribute to society. We hold that meaningful work is a basic need of the human soul, as important to the proper development of the individual as nutritious food, clean water and fresh air are to the physical body.”
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Looking back I’m glad I did all of that, too. Making myself rethink everything every year has really helped me to open my mind to different possibilities.

That said, not all wealthy and successful people are college drop-outs. A lot of people are quick to point out Bill Gates because hey, dropping out of college and still striking it rich is sensational, in a culture that is stuck to the idea that college = money. There are many more rich people who have gone to college and even graduate school so college experience doesn’t correlate to wealth at all.

Interesting reading this, thanks for being honest and sharing your story.
I know what you feel like because I went through the same thing for almost 2 years, trying to decide what i want to do.

I still havent solved it, but i’ve stopped worrying about it. Ive decided i want adventures, travel, good friends and financial independece and how its going to happen doesnt really matter. I have no real plan for the future but I know things will work out somehow, so Im just going to work hard at what I enjoy doing and build something up

I just watched the movie Coco Chanel, really inspiring, about how she was a normal and poor working girl with big dreams, and eventually followed her passion of designing hats which nobody believed in, and look what she achieved when she followed her passion and interests.

Have a rockin day
Diggy – Upgradereality.com´s last blog ..How to Resist the Temptation of Junk Food