Free and Humble

Liberal arts education is supposed to make us free. Its also supposed to make us creative. Think of the most bizarre thing you can think of- an alien, say. Now go back to the figure you have on your mind and think about what constitutes the alien- I bet all the things you have used are the things that you have seen before.
You’ve used myriad experiences you’ve had to create a being- you have become creative. If you did not have those variety of experiences, you would not have come up with your wonderful “alien”. This is what liberal arts does- it makes you creative. It helps you connect the dots. Don’t you think?

Liberal arts makes you humble. You appreciate dance as much as you would appreciate math. You break the stigma of educational hierarchy where math and sciences are at the top and arts is at the bottom. This hierarchy is based on what we think is important for the future. In college, you have dropped a class because you thought it doesn’t help you get a job. Haven’t you? I have. But, I have also come to appreciate drama now that I have been exposed to some drama. I appreciate artists on stage. Liberal arts has made me more accepting. Physics and Maths are not more or less important than dance or music. Don’t you think?

This is what Professor Kagan is talking about- challenging the status quo, questioning the authority. Liberal education makes us fearless, thus free. It equips us with little bit of knowledge on everything, and knowledge on everything of something. And its a training that does not become obsolete if you move from one profession to another.