> ... a full suite of well-rounded knowledge, along with the tools and confidence to derive more knowledge, can cure most social ills > You know enough to read

> ... a full suite of well-rounded knowledge, along with the tools and confidence to derive more knowledge, can cure most social ills > You know enough to read a book, but not enough to know why you shouldn't take its contents at face value. Exactly my position - you can be literate (able to read, write and master a subject enough to be employed) but either are unwilling or unable to understand the implications/meaning of what you have read. Educated people, the way I've seen it, can apply and use what they know to make the world as a whole better, or at the very least not encourage or allow assaults on the societal contract. I think for a while, people assumed that there was a strong correlation between education and being able to think for yourself. Especially after seeing people like yourselves who used education as a way to actually be people who have a moral compass and excel in society. What people didn't want is the legions of excellent workers who can value a firm from its financials in their heads, but turn around and promote intolerance, racism and corruption. Perhaps its got a lot more to do with the role models you saw. As you said you had someone who became a thief, but from the way you write, it seems that path just didn't make sense to you.