As a student attending a liberal arts university, I am constantly aware of what it means to be a liberally educated person. There are numerous opinions on the topic of liberal arts education, yet historian William Cronon voiced his thoughts on today's liberal education. Cronon's essay proves there is more to being a student than being graded on equations we need to memorize. Some individuals do not seem to succeed in those particular subjects that require more memorization. According to Cronon, a liberal education is about gaining the power and wisdom, the generosity, and the freedom to connect. Although I agree with Cronon, being liberally educated also means practicing humility, tolerance, self-criticism, writing effectively, and learning to nurture the people around us.
Humility is defined as "a modest or low view of one's own importance. " When talking about humility as a whole, we generally talk about developing an honest and accurate view of our importance in the universe. With humility, our self-esteem is not attached to our personality, physical appearance, wealth, possessions or our past. Instead, our creator is the one that is supposed to give us the purpose and the power to achieve any specific purpose. With humility, we perceive ourselves as equals with others. Careful practice can make it possible to watch one's emotions, to better understand them, to direct them, to change them, and to remove the negative ones too. Simply, it means particular emotions will not last any longer than a few moments, not saying feeling angry or sad will be discarded. Already, we are accustomed to our image, our face, our voice, and there is instant criticism. If you want to understand yourself and your surroundings, observe how the others behave, fail and flourish. The practice of tolerance is also a significant practice. Practicing tolerance of others becomes easier if you can learn to practice gratitude and positivity as well.
