[RT Wolf]

I think everyone has pretty clearly stated my views on degrees--that they're mostly pieces of paper. However, they're often touted as being a key part of a successful life and/or a garuntee of education. We've established that they are not, so what are those things?

I would argue that certain traits are important for success in life. You find these traits in more or less all successful people, even those with degrees (Warren Buffett, second richest man, has a degree, and if you go down the list, you'll find many degree holders). Hard work, perserverance, a willingness to take chances and/or calculated risks, courage, the willingness to grow and a whole host of other words that few people know the true meaning of.

Now, what makes a person educated, or what is an education? First, my definition of an educated person is one who has knowledge about a wide range of subjects, and a well thought understanding of the world. That, unfortunately, means that most people who just get degrees and specialize in only one field are not educated under my definition. That also means that I'm not educated.

So, how does one go about getting an education? I believe it comes through experience and self-teaching. Reading a wide variety of books and having a wide variety of experiences. At the same time, the information has to be useful and contribute to your mental models of the world. It's important not to fall into the trap of getting a whole variety of information or knowledge that is inherently useless to you. I've posted before about this sort of thing, about getting different "mental models" from the different disciplines, so that you are just a man with a hammer (and to whom the whole world looks like a nail).

I hope I've been clear, I'm really tired.