Liberal Education is a Waste

Like many in my generation, I graduated from basic training to professional training to work. There may have been a few liberal artsy fartsy courses in the mix, but they had little effect on me or my career.

Basic training began at Sacred Heart Cathedral School where I learned reading, writing and arithmetic, largely because the nuns believed in rote memorization and discipline. Religion was used to teach right from wrong and values, both moral and civic. And the nuns believed in competition, marking with a sharp red pencil and awarding gold stars only for perfect tests.

Basic training continued at McQuaid Jesuit High where we were taught Latin, logic and patriotism. Oh, and discipline, this time in the form of “JUG” (Justice Under God) for any infraction of the code, some of which was known only to the Fathers. The Jesuits also believed in competition and they taught us teamwork by individually taking on the whole class. We never won.

At the University of Rochester I was professionally trained in math and physics, sufficient to earn the PhD in physics after too many years. That training prepared me for teaching in college and research in industry, a career combination I choose to maximize our cash flow. We had two children by then and Lee needed to go to college.

But I suffered from my lack of liberal arts courses. I’m sure that I could have been a better conversationalist at dinner parties, though the bar is fairly low for physicists. Psychology might have made me a better manager. But compared to what a large number of kids learn today, I’m glad that my education was basic and professional.

That is not to say that the Liberal Arts are uninteresting. It’s just wasted on the young. The best time to learn literature, history, philosophy, language, art and cosmology is when you have the time to enjoy them, when you’re secure in your job and on into retirement. You can check out my midlife educational adventure in the next post.