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The tiger stalks its prey. It knows exactly when to attack, how to approach and how to subdue its meal. But it is not a killer; it hunts only when it is hungry. Still, it needs to compete with other tigers; otherwise, it will not eat.

We, humans, also have to eat and we also need to compete with other humans, wanted or not, consciously or not. One big difference with the tiger is that we live, supposedly, a much more complex life in a much more civilized world. To compete and succeed, we need more than pure strength and speed. We cannot live and work just based on instincts. We need instruction. We need to learn useful techniques and develop skills. We need to get deep knowledge and hands-on training. We need to assertively approach the relevant sources and contacts who will provide the necessary resources to jump ahead. And we also need to set up effective measurements and indicators to know how much we are progressing. We certainly need to succeed in achieving our goals, and that is much more than just filling an empty stomach.

When we receive instruction, we accumulate knowledge and develop our intelligence, talents, and skills. Knowledge is, indeed, very powerful and a very profitable asset one can have. This can be illustrated by the story of a factory manager who couldn’t start a machine and, feeling hopeless, brought an expert from outside to help fix it. The expert came, saw, pressed a button, and the machine started. The factory manager was very happy until the invoice came for $1,000. Appalled, he asked the expert why the charges were $1,000, when the only thing he did was to press a button; so, he requested a detailed invoice. And the invoice came detailed: $1 for pressing a button and $999 for knowing which button to press. The know-how we can accumulate may worth, indeed, quite a bit of money. Instruction is also what an employer is most interested to know about a potential employee, even though the employment application form requires the candidate to tell about her “education”. And that doesn’t matter because, anyway, the instruction level is what the candidate will fill in, not her education.

Well, education is far more than instruction. When we are educated, we are perfecting all our faculties, both moral and intellectual… and we could count physical, too. The objective of education is to make us think, feel, wish, and act rightfully. It will allow us to use all the knowledge and expertise we have in a much more powerful way and reach farther. And the rewards we get are much more satisfying. If getting instruction is a blessing, getting education is a double blessing, and we should pursue it as such.

The medical doctor who is only instructed can tell you, bluntly, about the mortal sickness you have, explain the treatment he suggests, request you to pay his fees, and to leave. With education, he will be kind and mindful when telling the news, sympathetic on how you might feel when hearing them; he accommodates to options available; and he is open to hear questions and answer them.  Here another example. The cashier at the supermarket must be fully trained on handling well and fast the cashier machine; he may have the manager looking upon his shoulder. But with education, even having the manager looking upon his shoulder, he will not be disturbed and he will greet every customer with a smile, get to know the regular customers and ask for their families, and recommend the promotions for the week. The difference between being instructed and being educated can even be much more noticeable. There are cases of highly instructed men capable of making fake milk and fake rice… even eggs! But, would you give that to your children or your neighbor’s children?  The truth is an educated person will have a lot less chance to fall into vices and crime.

The educated man will have worked on his morality and ethic during his life. He is not only capable of discerning quickly between right and wrong, but also capable to behave accordingly. His behaviors are based on solid values and virtues that he got when he was being educated. He will acknowledge the presence and feelings of others. He will make sure to give the extra mile and that everything he does will have a positive impact. And he will be fair and just.

It is true that our societies put a lot of emphasis on instructing their people as a way to develop and being more competitive. It is also true that we can’t educate without instructing.  We just need to be mindful that they are not the same. We need to get both instructed and educated.

And what do you think of this article? Is it leaving you with a bit of instruction or education?

Please remember to take a look at the book Sicamor. Thanks!