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Does being "educated" INSURE that you're adept at critical thinking/comprehension? Can you be uneducated and good at both? Why?

Posted - April 11, 2017

Responses


  • 6988
    Thomas Edison never had much education, but he was fairly clever, don't you think?
      April 11, 2017 12:10 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Not everyone is a genius m'dear! Thank you for your reply bh!:)
      April 14, 2017 4:15 AM MDT
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  • Absolutely.   Especially in these trying times.
      April 11, 2017 12:18 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    I don't know how much more of these "trying times" we can handle before we are irreparably damaged Bunny! Thank you for your reply and Happy Friday! :)
      April 14, 2017 4:19 AM MDT
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  • That pendulum swings both ways. Benjamin Franklin, referred to as "Dr Franklin" had one year of formal education, as did Abraham Lincoln. I think we all agree that their abilities were strong in the comprehension dept. Sadly though, there are many today that have college degrees but lack walking around sense. It's like being among the walking dead. 
      April 11, 2017 2:11 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Precisely. Book learning is fine. But if you cannot apply what you learn to the real world of what use is it? Thank you for your reply driftwood and Happy Thursday! Then there are the McGuyver's(sp?) of the world who make do with nothing and invent ways to make it something! :)
      April 13, 2017 8:04 AM MDT
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  • 1002
    Education doesn't necessarily ensure critical thinking. Yes, a person can think critically and in many cases can be immensely successful without a degree.
    http://gadgets.ndtv.com/photos/billionaire-college-dropouts-13160

    Many great minds were self-taught.
      April 11, 2017 6:28 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    Genius is like that FNR. You see things others don't. You make connections that other didn't realize were there. You not only think outside the box you were never in one. Most of us need guidance/instruction/mentors. Genius exists on its own needing nothing but its own light and a means to let it shine. Just my take on it! Thank you for your reply and  Happy Thursday! :)
      April 13, 2017 8:02 AM MDT
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  • 1002

    True, but great intellect doesn't necessarily dictate what someone will do, only how effectively they will do it. For some genius reveals itself in the form of art, for others theory, some in business and so forth.

    I think the same applies to how we learn, everyone learns differently. Some are self taught, some require little direct guidance, some require a fair degree of direct guidance and others might rely completely on direct guidance. Some are very visual, others more readily grasp concepts, some minds exist *entirely* in the abstract, it just depends on the person. It can also depend greatly one the method by which one's intellect is being measured, which is something we should attempt to better understand in America specifically.

    Don't misunderstand, I'm not suggesting education doesn't have value. I just don't think there is a "one size fits all" approach. For this reason, I don't think a piece of paper is definitive verification of cognitive abilities.

    This post was edited by ForkNdaRoad at April 14, 2017 3:52 AM MDT
      April 13, 2017 2:58 PM MDT
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  • 113301
    I agree with thee. I think the value of a degree is that it shows the person who earned it stuck with it! He/she did the work and hung in and COMPLETED what was started. That bodes well when one wants to hire employees. Someone like Sarah Palin will always be known as the half-governor because she quit in the middle of her term for whatever reason. I think once you start something you ought to finish it. Of course there will always be exceptions. Thank you for your thoughtful analysis  FNR and Happy Friday
      April 14, 2017 4:01 AM MDT
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  • 1002
    Exactly, that is its only purpose... to gauge commitment, not intelligence.
      April 14, 2017 10:53 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    Cool FNR! So you see it as I do! Finishing what you start isn't always easy of course. But at the end of it there is sense of accomplishment. I think being a quitter can't make you feel very good about yourself. Thank you for your reply and Happy Saturday! :)
      April 15, 2017 4:52 AM MDT
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  • 7280
    No, it doesn't "ensure" it.

    The greater one's intellectual abilities, the more likely one is to see many things worth one's active concern while those left gifted may see only one.

    But one's judgment is only as good as one's information (knowledge of the subject).
      April 13, 2017 9:03 AM MDT
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  • 113301
    You meant those "less" gifted, correct? Interest in the subject matters.Passion matters. What resonates with us matters. There have been some gifted athletes who excelled in more than one sport. You've heard of the term "Renaissance Man" I'm sure. That would be a multi-talented individual who is very good at doing many things. Some gifted folks focus on what will make the most money. Others are guided by passion for the subject(s). The downside is that sometimes a genius is tortured and can't handle living in the world as it is.    I had a friend long ago whose brother was a genius. He died of alcoholism and never succeeded at anything. I don't know the why of it because you'd think the smarter you are the easier life is for you. I'd rather just be "normal" all things considered. Which is what I am. Being special has its own set of additional challenges. Thank you for your reply tom and Happy Friday!  :)
      April 14, 2017 4:14 AM MDT
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