Do we really know what being educated means.. :)

It is interesting how many graduates and post graduates our country churns out every year, but it is really sad to see that we have misunderstood the meaning of education and many of us have remained illiterate. Education does not mean adding degrees to your kitty, become proud and arrogant, make money and put to rest the case of every other existence. No, it means, humility to grow everyday, it means empathy to understand people around you and help them live and grow and it indeed means realization that you have just been one of those fortunate kids, to be born in families who could afford to give you dream and exposure to pursue, what forms the basis of your existence today. However, our education system has failed to broadly give people social mindset, it had probably given them maths, science and english. And now i kind of see why my friends who have studied far wide and have travelled tend to seem so normal to me against the ones who have always been comforted by the social edge that our nation gives.
It was an interesting evening. A friend of mine has moved to London and he decided to have a small get together. It was meant to be 5 of us close friends, but somehow one led to other and there were 20 of us :). I am not a big socialite. I am peace loving person who enjoys intelligent humour and conversation, i have kind and nice friends and we have been there for years that we have known each other, through thick and think. Crowd has never been easy for me. Only thing that comes to my rescue is that i can turn into a good listener to strangers and hence the small talk people can talk at me.. :P From that perspective it was an interesting evening. While i managed to run like a shadow behind my friend like a 2 year old child runs after her mother seeing so many unknown faces, and being a friend that he is, he ensured that he searched for me if i was not within his periphery. In one of the group conversations with majority of guys and few girls, one of the guys happened to discuss on how women blocked the seats in colleges, how they are not good enough for growth and jobs etc and as if that wasnt enough, how education is ruining their mindset and hence is a social issue. :D. I wanted to debate but, i just happened to tell him one thing, " I used to be against reservation for females in colleges etc, always thought it wasnt required. But males like you need 50% females sitting in your classroom to really give you a feel of their intelligence and capability and also make you understand that they are humans like you. Suppression is a social issue, it had to break someday for good. You will never really be literate and educated till you go through that. You will just be an insensitive idiot making money because he knows maths, science and english, you are not a human..".. And even better was what my friend told, " All that i learned through my educational years was power that diversity brings in.. Unique perspective that girls bring to table, that different people from different geos bring in and the fact that underneath we are all human, we all want to be happy, dream, feel good about our existence.. the social issue in India is the fact that you graduated with 2 girls in your classroom never thinking why only 2 and what does it feel like to be 2 in a class of 40.. what is really going wrong here is that your colleges dont churn out leaders, they add a layer of english to engineers and analysts.. as an alum you should ask for better female ratios in colleges and also understand them more to leverage their strength in making team work effective.."
It is interesting sometimes to know what people think. :) I used to think we all are equal, but i think i am just fortunate to have friends and family who have been educated in real sense. And while i was sitting in one corner and thinking why so much hatred for women and a constant attempt to push them down? My friend, who always finds me no matter which corner i hide in :), came and said, " you know, had it not been for girls and their brains in this world, there would not have been so many colors, designs, dishes, creativity and life.. they do well, no matter whatever be the challenges.. and on top of all that, they are , balanced, sweet and nice too.. ".. Me, "right and had it not been for guys who would have admired colors, designs, watched the same cricket match 10 times and make unbalanced decisions and take high risks to bring the economy where it is today.." ..We both laughed at the whole incident and decided that some fools learn it hard way.. :D