Throughout history, many people have claimed that they are educated, which raises the question of the meaning of these claims. It is impossible to determine whether or not someone is educated simply because they attended an Ivy League school and have a perfect GPA. Indeed, it is impossible to assess whether a person is educated or not using standardized tests. Essentially, education is not the same as knowledge, although many attempt to combine the two. The fact is that education is immeasurable and you either are educated or you are not. To be truly educated, one must possess the ability to listen vigilantly, think critically, and explore points of view different from one's own. There are many ways to educate oneself, including travel, books and meaningful discussions and, of course, the school system, which gives everyone the tools they need to succeed in such an endeavor (U 58 ). Susannah is a straight A. student who decides not to pursue physics and calculus classes in favor of theater and work-study. Her reasoning is that she intends to major in art or history and therefore no longer needs the subjects she chooses to drop. The phenomenon is observable throughout history where girls and women avoid science and mathematics in favor of history or the arts. The lack of motivation comes at a very critical time because if, in the future, Susannah decides to change her mind, it may be too late for her. The case of Fredrick Douglass contrasts sharply with that of Susannah. While she demonstrates a lack of motivation in certain aspects of learning when they are readily available, the lack of resources only motivates Douglass to the point that he resorts to "ploys" to learn. ..... middle of paper. ..... the TV show "Are you smarter than a fifth grader?" » is not used enough. The heart of the show is that adults who many consider to be educated by traditional standards, meaning they have master's degrees and doctorates, take on fifth graders in a battle of wits. Although there are adult winners from time to time, the show depicts a total massacre of the adult teams by the children. The reason behind adults' dismal results is that these children continually learn and apply this information during their daily activities while adults, inevitably prestigious people in society, have not thought about these issues for decades. It is therefore important to periodically reflect on the knowledge acquired to prevent it from atrophying and even to help better understand many ideas and topics..