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Transcription Of The 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address

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When thinking about education, for the most part one always thinks about school. Is education really just about school or what does it mean to be educated is the big question. Being educated to me, does not mean having a degree or is not determined by whether one came from an Ivy League school. Everyone can go to a university and earn a degree but one who truly is educated learns something and actually uses their knowledge. To be educated means having your horizons broaden and your visions are clear. Education is not one in a restricted classroom but is obtainable in the real world. Education is sought through self-motivation and open mindedness to learning new concepts. Being able to take control of your own ability of what you want to learn …show more content…

It is about learning about yourself and being able to take challenges, to prove your true potential. David Foster Wallace, in his speech “Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon commencement address”, explains what he believes is the most important benefit of a college education, with the ability of choosing how we think. In his speech “Transcription of the 2005 Kenyon Commencement Address”, Wallace conveys the awareness that we control how our mind perceive things: “learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think” (34). We understand through his speech the importance of having control of how you think, will help you choose to see education in a new perspective. This also justifies my definition of education that to be educated is being able to think freely “the freedom of a real education, of learning how to be well-adjusted. You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn’t. You get to decide what to worship” (37). Therefore the freedom of real education is about choosing to escape our biological and cultural default setting, that we can control our own mind. Wallace reiterates that life is better when we look at it the right way, also looking at education the same way. This illustrates that education gives you the ability to become open minded to new ideas and it isn’t just about school or having a degree. This is the central idea that opening your horizons can lead to a path for

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