The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-08-10
lExaminer.1
The Ignorance of Educated Men,

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It was Lord Brougham, we believe,
who defined an educated man as one
who knows something Of everything
and everything of something. Who
soever the definition may be, it is a
perfect one. It is a grave question,
however, how many men among those
who are considered educated men can
successfully challenge a test by this
standard. There are men in plenty
who are eminent in their own callings,
and deeply learned in all the lore that
relates to success in them, while
they are densely ignorant in all out
side of this special knowledge. The
worst Of it is that they are not at all
conscious Of their deficiency; and are
as serenely self-satisied as it is posi-
bic for men to be.
This is especially the case with the
so-called ''self-made'' men-the men
who have begun life with little or no
preparation in the way of education,
but have succeeded in gaining wealth
or professional position, and in accu-
mulating a considerable stock Of
knowledge, amply sufficient for their
particular pursuits. Conscious that
they have overcome obstacles greater
than most men have to face, they are
profoundly impressed with a belief
that they are capable Of accomplish
ing anything else that they may
choose to put their hands to. Know
ing what they do know with the ut
most thoroughness, they imagine the
amount Of that knowledge to be far
greater than it is. They have not the
least idea of the extent of their igno-
rance, and this very fact makes fur
ther progress hopeless.
What is perhaps the most discour-
aging feature Of all, is the fact that so
many young men of to-day seem
willing to develop into this imperfect
type One who travels much on the
horse-cars or elevated roads in this city
is obliged to hear great deal of other
peoples conversation. The young
men are precisely like the old, and
both talk shop" and little else. If
they have an idea outside of their bus
mess or profession, they keep it
strictly to themselves. If by chance
an exception occurs, the exceptional
young man talks nonsense about
society" It would be absurd, of
course, to take this sort of talk as the
measure of the life Of young men in
New York, but it does not altogether
misrepresent the state of the case.
It is difficult for one whose mind does
not run to business" to engage the
average young man in an interesting
or profitable conversation for half
hour on any Of those subjects which
interest every cultivated person. He
knows little Of books beyond few
novels, and these not Of the best; he
is bored by art; Of politics, except as a
mere partisan squabble, he has no
conception; he is ignorant of science
and philosophy, having learned moth
ing about either since he left school or
college, and forgotten the little that
he then knew.
1t needs no argument to prove that
this is very defective type Of man
hood. A man owes it to himself, to
his family, to the community in which
he lives, to have some ideas above
mere bread and butter. to think of
something besides material success in
life. What the world needs most to-
day everywhere is genuine men, fully
developed men-men of a hexibility
of mind that can bend itself to any
subject, of catholicity Of spirit that
can take an interest in any theme;
men, in short, who take for their mot
to the famous line of Terence, with
wider Interpretation of it than was
dreamed of in ancient times, II am
man, and nothing pertaining to hu-
manity is Indifferent to me-" We
have all known men Of this type, and
wherever we have known them we
have recognized them at once as the
type that needs to be multiplied.
There is nothing necessarily mar
rowing in business and professional
life. There is nothing incompatible
between the highest success in ones
chosen calling and an intelligent in
terest in and knowledge of what men
are doing in literature, in science, in
art, in philosophy. Breadth does not
preclude depth. A man would fail,
It is true, who attempted thorough
mastery Of all the branches of knowl-
edge. There was day when one man,
by diligence could hope to master
everything that was known, or at least
all Of it that was worth knowing, but
that day passed long ago. To master
ones own profession or business is
now the task of lifetime, and to be
complete master of more than one
branch of knowledge is possible only
to the few, if to any. But this is not
the object to be aimed at. 1t is posi-
BILE for the most busy man of affairs to
learn the something of everything"
while not neglecting to acquire the
'everything Of something"
There is but one way to do this how
ever, and that is to begin in youth and
continue through life, to seek deliber-
ately and continually a broad culture
as well as deep learning. The result
will be wide and intelligent interest
in the progress Of the worlds devel-
opment, and the accumulation of a
stock Of general knowledge, which will
make it possessor a welcome addition
to any social circle, and furnish an
unfailing source Of amusement for
his own leisure hours.