John Dewey Quote on Education and How The Process and The Goal Are One And The Same

“I believe finally, that education must be conceived as a continuing reconstruction of experience; that the process and the goal of education are one and the same thing.”

John Dewey, Educated

Beyond the Quote (Day 390)

Becoming educated and getting a degree are two different goals. What most of us have been taught to aspire to isn’t education—it’s accreditation. We’re taught that what’s most important isn’t what you learn along the way, but what paper you receive at the end—the one that says you’ve been “educated” by this College or that University. Which isn’t exactly unreasonable as those educational institutions are supposed to represent a certain standard of education. But, at the end of the day, after all of the “accreditations” have been handed out, what matters most isn’t the paper in and of itself—it’s the person behind the paper.

The problem with being more focused on the paper than the education is that it creates a disconnect between the process and the goal. When focused primarily on the paper, the process becomes about playing the game rather than learning. Gaming teachers, tests, systems, assignments, and studying methods to get the job done rather than on doing the job. But, if the goal is to satisfy an insatiable curiosity, or to understand how something truly works, or to solve a problem that is wholly captivating to them—then that’s what the process will reflect: genuine understanding.

Understanding of a topic will always supersede accreditation. Problem solving abilities will always outweigh a buffed up facade of skills. How people have invested their curiosity will always matter more than what paper(s) they’ve collected. What people can actually do will always trump what it says they can do on paper. Even if one person has a more prestigious paper than another; even if one person has a higher level paper than another; even if one person has a paper and the other doesn’t—the proof is and always will be, in the pudding.

So, take a closer look at your daily processes and your goals. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that the goal of getting a paper will lead you to becoming optimally educated. Just like you shouldn’t fool yourself into thinking that the goal of losing weight is going to lead you to your healthiest lifestyle. Only the goal of living a healthier lifestyle is going to lead to the process of living a healthier lifestyle. So, before you go racing up a ladder, make sure your ladder is pointing at the right window. It would be a shame to make it all the way to the top, only to realize it was pointed at the wrong top the whole time.

In a Tweet:

Understanding > accreditation.

Problem solving skills > a buffed up facade of skills.

How curiosity has been cultivated > what paper(s) have been collected.

What a person can ACTUALLY do > what a paper SAYS a person can do.

Don't get it twisted. Invest accordingly.

— Matthew Hogan (@MattHogan123) January 26, 2021

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Read Next: Alan Watts Quote on The Present and How It’s Not A Result Of The Past (Day 388)

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