In his essay, “The Marks of an Educated Man,” Alan Simpson writes that training the mind will help an individual achieve higher knowledge skills. The best results of liberal education cannot be achieved until the mind is trained to think clearly. Without proper mental training, no true liberal education can take place.

Since everyone’s brain does not work the same, the same amount of knowledge may not be present in two different individuals. Simpson talks about using one’s ability to think and examine life firmly, thus making possible a truly liberal education, which in turn enables progress and reform in our educational system.

One of the main thoughts that Alan Simpson presents is the idea of ​​not being afraid to make changes, especially if they are going to lead to progress in our traditional systems. Simpson goes on to state that a characteristic skill of an educated man is his ability to recognize false doctrines. It takes a certain amount of skepticism to combat the scammers and fact-filled chumps that populate the earth today.

Without proper education, we become more credulous to false teachings. The educated man has tried to develop a critical faculty for general use, and likes to consider himself an excellent judge of falsehood. Having doubts allows a person to expand their knowledge on a subject. A person seeking a good education will usually ask questions and make sure they get a good answer before being fooled by something false.

The fools, scammers, and scammers of this world can fool others by presenting false messages. Most who practice this are nothing more than outright liars, but they feel they have a holiness that sets them above all others. These so-called “authorities” are nothing more than fact finders and very often end up getting caught in their own traps.

Without a liberal education, they cannot combine knowledge, skills, and standards. For the most part, they are affected by the environment and the media. The lack of a liberal upbringing makes them very open to scams and they are definitely not analyzing, praying or thinking about situations as they should. These are the victims of proud scammers.

Having good liberal education skills can be a preventative device against highly educated con artists. Hoaxes are a reality for us even in higher education stretches. They surround us everywhere. From the professor to the scientist, both have been known to use invalid and embarrassing speech. While college-educated individuals can be fooled by hoaxes, people with little or no educational background are especially prone to and will almost certainly fall victim to hoaxes.

College students are influenced by professors and clergy, but people outside of the college world are largely influenced simply by what they read, see, and hear.

Simpson’s essay reveals that possessing liberal education skills enables a person to recognize false doctrines. Uneducated people will allow an individual to negatively influence them more than liberally educated people. Educated people help keep fools and con artists in their place and away from the follies of human nature within the hoaxes.

Alan Simpson concludes his essay with a fascinating and exciting statement: “We are no better for not knowing a clown when we see one.”