What does it mean to be educated?

When we hear the word Education we immediately relate it with knowledge. However, getting educated doesn’t mean the same as gaining knowledge. Education can be defined as a formal process and product of gaining knowledge. For example, a person has a lot of knowledge about computer programming. He/she knows how to use programming software such as C++, Java, and PHP in developing and formulating computer programs. However, he doesn’t have a degree in computer Engineering. For a single post of Computer Programmer, reputed IT Company invites applicants. Along with him, there is another applicant who has the same level of knowledge of Computer Programming; however is a graduate of a University. Who has a better chance of getting the job? Obviously that of the graduate. The meaning of getting educated lies in this answer.

In today’s competitive job market, an educated person is more preferred than an uneducated person. The reason behind this is the potentiality of the graduate to simultaneously grow both personally and professionally. This aspect of the graduate motivates the employer to believe that he/she will give more to the company than the company has to give him/her. So, to be educated means to get more opportunities in life.

An educated person is objective and rational. He/She doesn’t get as influenced as other uneducated people by mere sentiments. He/She is less likely to be a victim of the illusionary advertisements, fictitious film stories and fake political ideologies. For example, there was a big protest in Nepal over the statement given by an Indian actor Hrithik Roshan some years ago. Do you imagine the same to happen if he spoke the same foe countries like The USA, The UK, Germany; of course not. Its so because in those countries people are educated and rational. They think that a country will be great if the people living there are productive for the nation and not because a foreigner praises it. So why to get worried and waste productive time in protesting something that has nothing to react to. Because of this attitude there is no burning of tires (no environmental pollution), no traffic jam, no chaos and hence no instability.

So, the meaning of being educated means to have better job opportunities, to be more productive, to be more rational and objective.