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Is an education un-exercised worth having? The experience of getting the education probably has some (hopefully positive) impact on the individual, but if ther

by blunte 6y ago

Is an education un-exercised worth having? The experience of getting the education probably has some (hopefully positive) impact on the individual, but if there is no real opportunity to use that education later, there may also be some psychological downsides. Not entirely related, but also worth pondering is the brain drain of diverse intellectual talent into the world of finance, particularly private investment. What would the overall benefit been if the dozens of MIT physics and chemistry grads used their education to make things, make discoveries, etc. instead of making money for a limited group of beneficiaries in finance?

skohan 6y ago
Finance and consulting.
danaris 6y ago
> Is an education un-exercised worth having? I am glad to know many things that will (most likely) never help me earn more money. The value of an education cannot be measured entirely in economic terms. Two aspects of this that are very important, and have been sadly neglected and devalued in recent decades, are civics and critical thinking. > also worth pondering is the brain drain of diverse intellectual talent into the world of finance Yeah, that depresses me every time I think about it.
- blunte 6y ago
  Let's say that an individual gets the recommended education and is given enough loans to leave school with 60+k in debt. Unless that person is able to get a _really_ good job, this debt will sap any momentum they might have otherwise developed by living wisely and saving/investing. Now since for better or worse, people are driven to form partnerships and create offspring, and this will likely occur before that student debt is paid off, what kind of start will the children have? Will the parents be saving for their children's college funds? The value of critical thinking and ability to learn is great, but for most people in the above situation it will not compensate for the financial situation they will find themselves in for many years after they've forgotten much of what they learned. Also, the stress of their financial situation will actually have a greater influence on how they think than what they learned in school.
  - danaris 6y ago
    I'm really not sure how much more clearly I can say "the value of education cannot be measured in economic terms." There are things in this world that are worthwhile, that do not have a monetary value; that may, if considered in economic terms, be a net negative, and yet still be something the person who has them values highly. The value of civics and critical thinking, for example, are not just to the person who has them, but to society as a whole: the more members of our society who are educated in these things, the more likely we are to have good governance, as more people are able to properly evaluate the available candidates and willing to go out and vote.

by blunte 6y ago

skohan 6y ago

Finance and consulting.

danaris 6y ago

> Is an education un-exercised worth having? I am glad to know many things that will (most likely) never help me earn more money. The value of an education cannot be measured entirely in economic terms. Two aspects of this that are very important, and have been sadly neglected and devalued in recent decades, are civics and critical thinking. > also worth pondering is the brain drain of diverse intellectual talent into the world of finance Yeah, that depresses me every time I think about it.

blunte 6y ago
Let's say that an individual gets the recommended education and is given enough loans to leave school with 60+k in debt. Unless that person is able to get a _really_ good job, this debt will sap any momentum they might have otherwise developed by living wisely and saving/investing. Now since for better or worse, people are driven to form partnerships and create offspring, and this will likely occur before that student debt is paid off, what kind of start will the children have? Will the parents be saving for their children's college funds? The value of critical thinking and ability to learn is great, but for most people in the above situation it will not compensate for the financial situation they will find themselves in for many years after they've forgotten much of what they learned. Also, the stress of their financial situation will actually have a greater influence on how they think than what they learned in school.
- danaris 6y ago
  I'm really not sure how much more clearly I can say "the value of education cannot be measured in economic terms." There are things in this world that are worthwhile, that do not have a monetary value; that may, if considered in economic terms, be a net negative, and yet still be something the person who has them values highly. The value of civics and critical thinking, for example, are not just to the person who has them, but to society as a whole: the more members of our society who are educated in these things, the more likely we are to have good governance, as more people are able to properly evaluate the available candidates and willing to go out and vote.