The proliferation of personal development seminars, as well as gurus and self-proclaimed experts in various fields, leads us to question whether or not the knowledge that we have gained is valid and useful. It is true that these personalities and seminars have found success, and their approaches have demonstrated that they are correct for them, as well as possibly for more than a handful of other people. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t have any bearing on our own individual educational path. Each of us comes to our own conclusions regarding matters of epistemology. On this journey, I have come to the conclusion that I cannot discount either what I have learned through my experiences or what I have learned through my education. It has been brought to my attention that we acquire knowledge not only from the surroundings in which we find ourselves but also from the manner in which we engage with the people and institutions that make up our society. Our brains are able to store more information when we attend academic classes and participate in educational seminars because these activities help us acquire new knowledge. For me, it is necessary to strike a balance between the things I learn and the experiences I have, and then to apply those things in a manner that is appropriate to the objective I have set for myself.
References
Jodi Weiss, C. (2015, October 14). What do you want to be when you grow up? HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-do-you-want-to-be-wh_4_b_8280212
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