Tara Westover Quote on How Education Is About More Than Making A Living

“An education is not so much about making a living as making a person.”

Tara Westover, Educated

Beyond the Quote (Day 394)

We don’t come into this world already made—we come into this world ready to be made. We are not finished when we are born, we are born so that we can start. We are not a masterpiece that is revealed once born—we are a pile of puzzle pieces which reveal a masterpiece once assembled. If we truly want to understand who we are, this is the reality of our situation. Our identity is not just given—it’s a reward that has to be earned. And the process of assembling this puzzle isn’t simple nor is it easy.

First off, this isn’t your basic 100 piece puzzle that you can just whip together on a casual afternoon. This is one of the most complicated, intricate puzzles that you will ever have to assemble. And it’s a feat that only a few will ever see all the way through in their lifetime. It’s a puzzle that takes the utmost patience, persistence, self-discipline, and initiative—qualities that don’t come naturally to most and qualities that most never take the time to cultivate and habitualize.

And second, we are not born with complete puzzle sets. We are all given different starting pieces that might form an outline or give a basic impression—but that’s about it. The rest of the pieces are scattered throughout the world for us to find. Their location, fortunately, is no secret. They can be found in education, experience, connection, and introspection.

How can you find anything new about yourself without new experiences? How can you learn about your strengths, weaknesses, aptitudes, interests, potential—without education? How can you understand your emotions and innovate without connecting with others? How can you make sense of anything cycloning inside without moments of introspective attention? Each area gives clues about who we are (a puzzle piece) and helps reveal the overall picture of who we are. And each area left unexplored only leaves those clues hidden away.

This is the tragedy of a “sheltered” life; an isolated upbringing; being a part of an obtrusive or imposing culture: it keeps hidden from you—yourself. Keeping an open mind, exploring, conversing, interacting, and participating in the world isn’t just cliché advice—it’s essential advice. Our puzzle, once assembled, has the ability to unleash the full power of our spirit and can map out the entire rest of our lives. Without it, our puzzle remains incomplete and bare. And the result is that we might stay forever lost.

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