Daniel Wong

Give Me Two Minutes And I’ll Show You If You’re Educated Or Not

Updated on August 10, 2021 By

keep calm and educate

“What is a college? An institute of learning. What is a business? An institute of learning. Life, itself, is an institute of learning.” – Thomas Edison

So you’re done with your formal education.

You’ve gone through 12 years or 16 years—or even longer than that—of schooling.

You’ve memorized countless facts and equations (how many of those facts and equations you still remember today—that’s probably a different story), taken hundreds of tests and exams, and sat through thousands of hours of class.

But all of this doesn’t guarantee that you’re an educated person.

Going to school isn’t the same as getting an education.

I recently read a wonderful book on education entitled Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto.

In his book, Gatto explains what it means to be educated (I’ve summarized his points):

  • Educated people aren’t at a loss about what to do with their time. They don’t feel bored when they’re alone because enjoy their own company.
  • Educated people have the ability to build strong relationships wherever they go.
  • Educated people have fully come to terms with their mortality. They live their lives knowing that death is an inescapable reality.
  • Educated people reflect on their life experiences and continually gain new insights, even up until the point of death.
  • Educated people have a healthy self-esteem.
  • Educated people are knowledgeable about different cultures.
  • Educated people are proactive about creating new ideas.
  • Educated people discover truth for themselves by analyzing the evidence they’re presented with. They don’t try to discover truth by memorizing the opinions of others, not even the opinions of so-called “experts.”
  • Educated people seek to make a living by meeting the needs of others.
  • Educated people don’t deceive themselves into thinking that money will buy them happiness. Instead, they recognize that the most valuable things—love, curiosity, courage, empathy—are free of charge.
  • Educated people actively seek variety in their lives.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it does help you to see that there’s a huge difference between being learned and being educated.

Okay, your two minutes are up.

Are you educated?

I know I’ve got plenty of work to do if I want to consider myself educated!

3 Mistakes That Lead To Mediocrity

Updated on June 3, 2021 By

be fearful of mediocrity

Don’t you hate it when bloggers preach to you as if they have all the answers?

So I’m not planning to do that in this post. 🙂

After all, I still struggle.

I get distracted by unimportant tasks.

I’m not as disciplined as I should be.

I lack the motivation to do some things that I know I ought to.

I am, however, a relentless observer of what makes for a remarkable life. I realize that, in the pursuit of a meaningful life, we often make this mistake:

We confuse what describes us with what defines us.

[Read more…]

Too Young to Make a Choice, Too Old to Make a Change?

Updated on December 22, 2023 By

puppy stuck in tree

Your parents love you a lot.

That’s why, when you were growing up, they probably made a lot of decisions for you:

  • What clothes you wore
  • Which schools you attended
  • What kind of sports and activities you participated in
  • Which friends you hung out with
  • Which toys you played with
  • Which TV shows you watched
  • What time you went to bed

As a kid, you naturally gave in to what your parents wanted you to do.

After all, they knew what was best for you.

(In this other article I wrote, I challenge the idea that parents want what’s best for their children. Most of the time, they only want what’s good.)

Feeling “stuck” when you’re young

I don’t doubt that parents have excellent intentions when they make choices on their children’s behalf.

But, very often, this is the message that gets communicated to their children:

“You’re too young to make a choice. You’re naïve and foolish, so I’ll make the choice for you.”

Many children grow up believing this message well into their late teens and early 20s. This is a problem.

[Read more…]

10 Questions That Successful Parents Ask Themselves

Updated on September 30, 2021 By

Parenting

Parenting is an awesome responsibility that involves a huge amount of work.

It isn’t easy to be a great parent!

I’ve had the privilege of speaking to and working with thousands of students and parents. Through these interactions, I’ve come to realize that despite their good intentions, parents often do things that confuse, annoy, anger or frustrate their children.

I’ve noticed the many mistakes that parents make in trying to raise happy and successful children.

I’ve also observed what winning parents do differently.

Based on these observations, I’ve come up with a list of 10 questions that all successful parents ask themselves.

(Just to be clear, I’m writing this post from a child and a student’s perspective. Also, to avoid repeatedly writing “he or she,” I’ll assume that the child I refer to is a girl.)

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1. Do I want what’s good for my child or what’s best?

(This point is inspired by this excellent article.)

It’s natural for parents to advise their children to pursue the safe, predictable and practical route.

Parents do this because they don’t want their children to experience uncertainty or discomfort.

This is the good path.

But is it the best path?

In most cases, no. The best path is usually the one that’s full of challenges, obstacles and disappointments.

It might even be full of the “f” word: failure.

Winning parents distinguish between “good” and “best,” and continually encourage their children to choose “best.”

[Read more…]

How To Care Enough To Change The World

Updated on June 3, 2021 By

A few years ago, I had the privilege of attending a talk by this incredible woman, Marian Wright Edelman.

Marian Wright Edelman

Children’s rights activist, Marian Wright Edelman

Edelman is the founder and president of the Children’s Defense Fund, and she’s been awarded more than 65 (yes, 65!) honorary degrees. She was also the first black woman to be admitted to the Mississippi bar.

To say that she’s an impressive woman is an understatement!

The way that Edelman concluded her speech was exceptionally memorable.

“I cannot preach like Martin Luther King, Jr. or turn a poetic phrase like Maya Angelou…”

She proceeded to list a large number of distinguished people, and the characteristics they possessed that she did not.

What you can achieve when you care enough

Edelman went on to say:

“But I care and am willing to serve and raise my voice with others for children… I care and am willing to serve and sacrifice to build our children a better future.

“I care. I really, really care. You can change the world if you care enough.”

You can change the world if you care enough.

If that statement is true (I like to think that it is), it’s no surprise that a lot of advice you hear from career development gurus revolves around pursuing a line of work you care deeply about.

It’s entirely true that in today’s Information Age, it’s no longer enough just to be compliant, competent or even charismatic. You need to care.

[Read more…]

Students’ Fear of Failure Begins With the Teacher

Updated on June 3, 2021 By

newspaper cutaway

Last week, I wrote an article for TODAY Newspaper entitled “Success in spite of school, not because of it.”

I received many comments, both online and in person, about my view that if the education system continues the way it is, we are headed down the path of mediocrity. Now is the time to begin paving the way toward excellence and greatness.

The most insightful remark I received came from a good friend of mine who’s a teacher.

She responded to my observation that “schools generally teach students to fear failure, to be obsessively competitive and to be a passive learner.”

She wrote:

… the fear of failure begins in the teacher. That’s the root of the issue in our education system. One of the indicators to measure a teacher’s performance is the student’s results.

More often than not, the teacher is blinded to the student’s fear of failure because it is more daunting to come to terms with the fact that the fear stems from us [teachers].

When we deny our own condition, we fail to see what is happening in the student because it reminds us of who … we really are.

It’s entirely true that what gets measured gets done. But when it comes to measuring our teachers’ performance, are we measuring the right things?

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16 Keys to Motivating Your Teenager (Cover)

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Do You Want To Lead A Meaningful Or Memorable Life?

Updated on June 3, 2021 By

motivational poster

Who could disagree with this saying?

Those crazy nights that often involve alcohol, friends, loud music and irresponsible behavior—those are the ones that remain permanently etched in your mind.

You’re probably not going to say something like, “For the past month, I’ve slept at least eight hours every single night. It’s been AMAZING!”

Everyone enjoys talking about the wonderful things that have happened in the past and reminiscing about the good old days.

It’s also undeniable that shared memories bond people together. That’s why leaders intentionally create shared experiences in an attempt to foster unity and camaraderie.

Why good memories can be bad

But, at the same time, I think that memories are overrated.

[Read more…]