With High Hope, and a Fixed Purpose

Those who know my beliefs about self-education love to send me articles chock full of statistics that seemingly paint a picture that links a college degree solidly with higher wages, success and happiness. Here is a link to one such article that I received last week titled, Your Best Career Investment: College.

Some of the highlights of the article include misleading gems like, “a bachelor’s degree is worth more than $2.1 million over 40 years.” And, “The Department of Labor reports that employments for those with bachelor’s degrees grew by 1.8 million during the past 10 years compared to a loss of nearly 700,000 jobs for those armed with a high school diploma.” My favorite, though, is the following passage:

But earnings are only part of the benefits. A college education enriches your life in ways that cannot be measured by dollars. “Education is power,” Frederick Douglass observed nearly 150 years ago. Today, education remains the path out of poverty toward opportunity. It is also the route to achievement, enrichment, knowledge and success. Most important of all, education makes dreams come true.

I’ll dissect the misuse of statistics in general another day. For now, since Frederick Douglass’ name was invoked to make the point that education is empowering, I think it’s a good idea to put Douglass’ quote into the context of his biography to fully understand what he meant by the statement.

Frederick Douglass is the most striking example in American history of a person who educated himself in the face of adversity. Not only did he not have any regular teachers, mentors, or spend one day in formal school, he had active antagonists – his slave masters – who tried to thwart his attempts to learn. Upon discovering that his wife, Sophia Auld, had begun to teach Douglass to read, Hugh Auld forbade it. This impressed upon the young Frederick Douglass the importance of literacy. In the following passage from his autobiography, Douglass describes the moment when his master discovered that his wife was teaching Douglass to read:

. . . Mr. Auld found out what was going on, and at once forbade Mrs. Auld to instruct me further, telling her, among other things, that it was unlawful, as well as unsafe, to teach a slave to read. To use his own words further, he said, “If you give a nigger an inch, he will take an ell. A nigger should know nothing but to obey his master-to do as he is told to do. Learning would spoil the best nigger in the world. Now,” said he, “if you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there would be no keeping him. It would forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master. As to himself, it could do him no good, but a great deal of harm. It would make him discontented and unhappy.” These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty-to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom. It was just what I wanted, and I got it at a time when I the least expected it. Whilst I was saddened by the thought of losing the aid of my mistress, I was gladdened by the invaluable instruction which, by the merest accident, I had gained from my master. Though conscious of the difficulty of learning without a teacher, I set out with high hope, and a fixed purpose, at whatever cost of trouble, to learn how to read. The very decided manner with which he spoke, and strove to impress his wife with the evil consequences of giving me instruction, served to convince me that he was deeply sensible of the truths he was uttering. It gave me the best assurance that I might rely with the utmost confidence on the results which, he said, would flow from teaching me to read. What he most dreaded, that I most desired. What he most loved, that I most hated. That which to him was a great evil, to be carefully shunned, was to me a great good, to be diligently sought; and the argument which he so warmly urged, and determination to learn. In learning to read, I owe almost as much to the bitter opposition of my master, as to the kindly aid of my mistress. I acknowledge the benefit of both.

The importance of Hugh Auld inadvertently cementing a rationale for learning in the mind of Douglass cannot be overestimated. That rationale, which linked freedom and education, was what propelled Douglass to learn. It took him years of painstaking effort just to learn to read and write. He secretively begged lessons from poor white children when running errands, and wrote in old penmanship workbooks that came in his way. He copied the handwriting of his master’s child so that his efforts wouldn’t be discovered. Douglass’ belief in education, and the hope that he could achieve it, made his effort inextinguishable. It’s a good thing for Douglass and for history that Hugh Auld linked Douglass’ freedom with the attainable goal of improving his mind rather than with the unattainable one of attending Harvard.

Frederick Douglass eventually did escape slavery. He became an active member in the abolitionist movement, and rose to prominence as a speaker, and later as an author when he published the first of his three autobiographies, A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. During the Civil War, Douglass published an abolitionist newspaper, The North Star, which served as a platform for the reformer’s anti-slavery editorials. Douglass’ clear writing style and vivid accounts to the atrocities of slavery gave a megaphone voice to those who suffered in silence under the oppression of slavery. His writings made Americans aware of both the plight and squandered potential of those mired in bondage.

Although born a slave, Douglass came to see himself as an American entitled to the universal equality espoused by the founding fathers of the United States. His chief contribution was in changing minds of Americans scripted in the belief that slavery should not be abolished. Abraham Lincoln could not have issued the Emancipation Proclamation without popular support of the people; therefore, Douglass’ efforts to shift public opinion helped make the freedom of nearly 4,000,000 African Americans possible. He also advocated that Lincoln emancipate the slaves as a matter of military necessity, which was the rationale Lincoln used in the proclamation.

Education was power for Douglass and his power benefits us all today through his words and his example. Although he did not have the prospect of attending a college, he did not excuse himself from his responsibility to become educated or his responsibility to make America better. In the face of such an example and heritage, we should not excuse ourselves either.

Semper Studiosus.

The Lightning Bug and The Lightning

“The difference between the almost right word & the right word is really a large matter – it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

– Mark Twain

I signed my oldest daughter up for kindergarten today. It seems she will be attending a good school, and I think my daughter will enjoy the experience. However, on the door to the kindergarten art classroom was a sheet of paper with several columns of art jobs listed on it, like “sketch artist, painter,” etc. On top of the paper plastered in bold face type it read, “Things you can do with an art degree.”

Rather than telling kids what can be done with an art degree, a math degree, or science degree, wouldn’t it be better to simply tell them what they can do with art, math and science? The results might be electric.

Take Chris Wahl, for instance: He is an art degreeless artist, yet is highly educated in commercial illustration and is in demand.

Three Bulldogs for the Price of One

Here is another design we’re currently working on. I dig the dog faces.

Bulldogs: My Favorite Subject

I think I probably draw more gun-toting bulldogs than anyone else in the world. It’s just a guess, but it’s probably accurate.

Well Mannered Warriors

Here’s a design we did recently for the local recruiters here in Virginia. It was inspired, like this blog, by the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. It reminded me of a conversation I had when I was hired for a job in Virginia. One of my co-workers commented that he couldn’t picture me as a Marine, because, as he put it, “I was too nice.”

I assured him that Marines, in general, are very nice people. They’ll gladly hold a door open for most anyone, and will courteously address strangers politely as “sir” or “ma’am.” Plus, when you’re in a jam, having a Marine at your side is very reassuring. “But”, I told my coworker, “you just don’t want to pick a fight with one.”

This has never been truer than today. Recently I was delivering shirts to the Martial Arts Center of Excellence. As I was pulling up in my truck with the boxes in the back, I noticed there was a Martial Arts Instructor Trainer course going on. Marines were lined up in an orderly fashion in boots and utilities with fighting stations set up throughout the sparsely wooded area. The notion was that they had to go through a series of these stations, doing punching and kicking drills until they completed the course.

Oh, and they had to get sprayed directly in the eyes with pepper spray before starting the course.

It was a sight to behold. From the neck up, they looked about like the rest of us would – grimacing in agony with all the appropriate grunts that the occasion required. From the neck down, however, they were in perfect discipline, each one punching and kicking their way through the course as if on autopilot. I couldn’t help but marvel at the spectacle. I was well aware that if anyone had shot me in the eyes with pepper spray, my reaction would have been more akin to curling up in a fetal position and muttering something about wanting to go home. Not these Marines, though. It’s hard to imagine that they’ve ever made them tougher.

As I started to unload the heavy boxes, several of the Marines going through the training came over to help me. Even though their physical requirements for the day were far beyond mine – it was only a few boxes – their sense of propriety would have been offended had I carried all the boxes myself. They couldn’t let a civilian carry their load. That would have been rude.

Semper Fidelis

Where There is a Way, There is a Will

Education should be for everybody, not just the wealthy. If we can take money out of the education equation, we can restore hope to those that feel excluded by our current system. There are a variety of ways to do this including scholarships, veteran’s benefits, and one grossly overlooked method which is the topic of this post – self-education.

There are many great examples of self-educated Americans. I’ve been researching the topic since 2003 and have found that many indispensable people in our history have been self-educated. None of the following Americans earned college degrees (other than honorary ones, which nearly all of them received): Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Paine, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, Thomas Edison, The Wright Brothers, Walt Disney, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell. Finding the list of people to be such a hearty stock of statesmen, scientists, authors, inventors, and innovators, I realized that learning is the thing that matters most. A degree, if one is earned, is incidental.

It’s essential to have the self-educated in our society. Would we have won the Revolutionary War without the combined efforts of Thomas Paine to sway public opinion, Washington to lead the army, and Franklin to procure needed aid from France? Probably not. Where would we be without the inventions of Thomas Edison and the Wright Brothers? Probably 1950. Without Disney’s influence on our culture and childhoods, traditional American values would likely be something different and more cynical. Without the collective efforts of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Michael Dell, the entire computer industry would be unrecognizable. The point I’m making here is that self-educated individuals have always been an essential part of our culture. We should embrace, glean lessons, and teach these examples to separate the term “degree” from being a synonym with the term “education.” Not everyone has the means to attain a degree. Nearly everyone can become educated.

There is a swelling over emphasis on a college degree that threatens to extinguish this valuable part of American society. The problem is that the laser focus on degrees can be counter-productive to learning because it makes money, not effort, the primary determinant of success. Those with means strive for a bright future; those without means often give up.

Who can blame them?

The average cost of one year of college, including tuition, books, room and board in 2005, was $27,000. This is a daunting figure for a child trying to find his or her way in the world. By placing a strong emphasis on a college degree, kids from unprivileged backgrounds simply give up when they learn enough to do the math on their situations. When kids are young they tend to do well in school; but as they get older, academic achievement starts to diverge along socioeconomic lines. This divergence widens through middle school and then high school until the rift between the academic achievements of the rich and poor becomes more pronounced. With 37 million Americans (that’s 12.7 percent of the population) below the poverty line, the implications are becoming epidemic. In some high schools in Chicago and New York City, the dropout rate is over 50%. Even in the President’s home state of Texas, only two thirds of those who start high school actually finish it. An emphasis on a college education may actually be contributing to these statistics. Consider the following excerpt from Starr Parker Scripps’ article, Leaving Too Many Children Behind, published by Howard News Service:

Being uneducated in America is a ticket to oblivion. Unemployment rates today are almost four times higher among those without a high school diploma than among those with at least a bachelor’s degree. Twenty-five years ago, a college graduate earned on average twice what someone without a high school diploma earned. Today it is almost three times as much.

Notice how the comparison is made between those without a high school diploma and those with a college degree instead of comparing those without a high school diploma to those with a high school diploma. Statistics used in this way devalue any learning short of that which produces a four-year college degree, essentially lumping high school graduates and high school dropouts together – as if public education is irrelevant unless it leads to college. Scripps, who clearly cares about the education of youth, may inadvertently be doing damage by framing statistics in this manner. Perpetuating statistics like these can stifle the poor. Why? Because it strips the poor and middle class of hope. Follow the logic:

1.) Fact: The poor and middle class, by definition, do not have a lot of money.

2.) Popular assumption #1: A college degree costs a lot of money.

3.) Popular assumption #2: A college degree is essential to make a livable income and is essential for a prosperous life.

4.) Conclusion: The poor and middle class cannot go to college and therefore will not have a prosperous life.

If the assumptions are correct, then the conclusion is flawless. We should give high school dropouts a lot of credit for their intelligence. Their conclusions make a lot of sense, considering the false assumptions they are often fed by well-meaning parents, teachers, and society in general. When we perpetuate the myth of the college degree, we are in part responsible for the low academic achievement of students without economic means. Making success about money instead of learning, effort or other meritocractic factors, robs children of hope. We can hire the best teachers, and institute the best programs, but if a child is disengaged from the learning process due to a lack of hope, all other measures will be ineffective. You can’t educate someone if his learning switch is in the “off” position. Furthermore, I believe that it is this disengagement from the learning process—not the lack of a degree—that is responsible for the statistics Scripps and others love to use to illustrate how the degreeless are doomed.

Studies by psychologist C. L. Snyder and colleagues suggest that hope plays a large role in a student’s ability to engage in challenging tasks. Hope, as described by Snyder, consists of two components – the “will” and the “ways.” The “will” refers to a person’s ability to persevere, while the “ways” refers to a person’s ability to find workable solutions to a challenge. Snyder’s work regarding these two dimensions of hope, which are highly correlated, suggest that those students with hope do better than students without hope. In describing Snyder’s findings, the authors of Cognitive Psychology and Instruction state, “When confronted with obstacles, high-hope students showed greater self-determination and solution pathways than medium or low-hope individuals. . . In fact, students with higher hope and academic expectations do receive higher grades even when their academic ability is taken into consideration!”

The correlation between the will and the way, however, is unclear. We often hear it said, “Where there is a will, there is a way!” Maybe. But that is a lot to expect of a child – dogged resiliency and perseverance in the face of adversity at an early age. Instead I would suggest that the correlation for a child is this, “Where there is a way, there is a will.” This may be hard for academics to understand if they haven’t experienced it first hand. To illustrate how the emphasis on a four-year degree can translate to a lack of hope, and therefore to low academic achievement, I’d like to share with you my own story.

The anatomy of defeat – when ‘B’s mean failing
When I was a young boy my dad, an enlisted Marine at the time, sat my two brothers and me down on the couch in the middle of our small living room to have a frank discussion. He looked at us and matter-of-factly stated, ” Boys, we can’t afford to send all three of you to college, so we won’t be paying for college for any of you. If you want to go to college you’ll have to do it on your own because your mom and I just can’t afford it.” Just like that the discussion was over – short and to the point.

At the time I was a fairly average student, maybe even slightly above average. I would get mostly ‘A’s and ‘B’s, and the occasional ‘C’ every now and then. I would excel in a subject once in a while but nothing special. I realized though, that I better start doing something special because I believed the only way I could possibly pay for college was to get scholarships. So I put forth the effort, but I didn’t think my performance would be good enough to get any college to seriously consider me for full-ride scholarships. After all, scholarships would only go to those students at the top of the class. As I progressed from grade level to grade level, the mediocre grades kept showing up.

All the while, my teachers told me how important college was. “The average college graduate makes $14,000 a year more than the average high school graduate,” one told me. “Any good job is going to require a college degree. A high school diploma just doesn’t mean much any more,” another teacher explained. All of my teachers and counselors were hammering home the same message: High school is only important as a stepping-stone to college.

As I saw my hopes of going to college fade, my lackluster grades started to turn into truly awful ones. By the seventh and eighth grades, ‘D’s made regular appearances on my report card. When my freshman year in high school came around, I decided to give it one last try. I started out well, but faded fast. In my mind, I had been conditioned in a straight ‘A’s or bust mentality. If I didn’t get straight ‘A’s, I couldn’t get the academic scholarship I desperately needed to be able to go to college. When the ‘B’s and ‘C’s came in, they weren’t signs of “above average” and “average,” they were signs of my failure. They might as well have been ‘F’s. I wouldn’t be going to college; I wouldn’t be able to afford it. To my way of thinking, my quest for a higher education was over early in the ninth grade.

Once hope was gone for me, ‘A’s, ‘B’s, and ‘C’s turned into ‘F’s. My learning inertia had been effectively stopped. In some grading periods I would even get straight ‘F’s. My body was in school still, but my mind had completely abandoned the activity. Just once – in one shining moment – to prove to everyone and myself I wasn’t stupid, I surged to get straight ‘A’s for one grading period. Unfortunately, it was the only one of my high school career and it was sandwiched between two grading periods of straight ‘F’s.

Since graduating with ‘B’s and graduating with ‘D’s held the same value, at least to my flawed way of thinking, my high school goal became to graduate with the minimum effort. “Get the degree, but only work as much as I need to,” became my mantra. I would waiver back and forth between mediocre grades and ‘F’s. I would fail entire subjects. I failed Chemistry, Algebra II, Spanish I, and Spanish II (why I was put in Spanish II after failing Spanish I, I’ll never know). I even regularly received failing marks in Art, one of my passions. At the end of the day I did get my high school diploma, although I think I was a credit short and someone just didn’t check closely enough. Either that or some merciful administrator just decided to let it slide. I had already enlisted in the Marines on the delayed entry program, and there was no need to delay that over one credit. I received my high school diploma, but I certainly didn’t earn it. My life has been harder than it needed to be as a result– not because I didn’t get to attend college right after high school – but because I stopped attempting to learn essentially after the eighth grade.

This is my own example of how a child disengages from the learning process when economic realities crash into an over-emphasis on attaining a college degree. Teachers in the public education system find it nearly impossible to reach children who, similar to my childhood experience, cannot see a clear path to college. Thus, the cycle of poverty is perpetuated hand-in-hand with ignorance. There are a lot of kids poorer than I ever was, and I imagine this same scenario is played out on a massive scale every day in America. When I see statistics of epidemic dropout rates of over 50% in some schools, I don’t see a lack of potential, a lack of intelligence or even a lack of opportunity. I see a lack of hope. I see people trapped by a perception of reality rather than by reality itself. Ironically, this perception of reality is self-perpetuating. Well-meaning or not, the media and others draw flawed conclusions from statistics and imply that those without a four-year degree are doomed. The question is, “What do we do about it?”

The obvious answer is to restore hope to those who have lost it. I believe there are two possible solutions – both disassociate socioeconomic status from the prospects of success. First, we can guarantee that everyone in America who wants to go to college can go to college, free of charge. It’s probably not workable though. The cost of college is too high, and even Bill Gates and Warren Buffet don’t have enough money to make that happen universally. This is the front that the battle is usually waged on, and it is insufficient by itself.

The other solution is to use the examples of non-degreed achievers to shatter myths about the college degree – and what it means to be educated – then provide paths to become educated through existing technologies and mentorship. This is the “way” that can help the less fortunate find the “will.” Before a person from impoverished means can lift himself out of his current situation through education, his learning switch must be moved back to the “on” position.

Semper Studiosus.

Semper Fi House Logo

This is a rough draft of the logo I’m working on.

It never ceases to amaze me when I see the compassion Marines feel for each other and their collective well-being. The Semper Fi House is a non-profit in its early stages that is comprised completely of Marine volunteers. The mission of the organization is to help Marines transition into college life. It is the brain child of Marine Captain Michael Hallinan who graciously invited me to help. I’ll post more on this often as we make progress.

Our motto is “Semper Studiosus,” which means “always devoted to learning.”

A Marine’s Best Friend: The Corpsman

Here is an illustration in progress for corpsman from CLB-2 currently stationed in Iraq.

To Degree or Not to Degree: That is the Question.

As I’ll be writing about the mental discipline a lot, which I define as “the discipline to train, educate and exercise the mind,” I want to clarify my position on the value of a college degree versus the value of self-education. I’m in the process of writing a book about self-education, which I’m an advocate of, yet I’m also helping a non-profit get off the ground that helps Marines transition from active duty to college life. As for me personally, I’m mostly self-educated but I have taken college classes, and I’ll likely take some in the future. However, I do not have a four-year degree, and I have no plans at the moment to get one.

A college degree, from my perspective, is largely an incidental occurrence that some learners experience when they pursue knowledge in an accredited institution. It is not required for success. It is not required in order to make meaningful contributions to society. It is not even required to be highly educated. Pursuit of a college degree is merely one way, a valid way to be sure, to become educated. Even then, it is not the be-all end-all of education. All college graduates, must eventually become self-educators or risk being left behind.

Here is a short list of do’s and don’ts that I’ve used to evaluate how college fits into my education plan. Understanding this list will provide clarification for why I advocate that veterans sign up for classes but also why I advocate self-education for others.

When to pursue a degree:

1. When it’s free or nearly free, DO pursue a degree or at least sign up for classes: If your parents or other benefactors are willing to pay for school, if you can get full-ride scholarships or you have veterans’ benefits, you should take advantage of the educational opportunity. You’d be crazy not to do this, as you would be turning down free money. If someone gave you $30,000 in cash you wouldn’t throw it in the dumpster, yet I see veterans tossing their benefits away without a second thought. Except in the case when going to school would prevent you from capitalizing on an opportunity, I think it’s a mistake not to go if it’s free.

As I write this, my wife, a Navy veteran, is rushing to finish up her homework for an information systems class she is taking. Her GI bill will run out this summer and she wants to squeeze the last few classes she needs out of it to get her degree. She has been taking classes for years when her schedule has permitted. She has attended schools in Japan, Hawaii, Virginia, and online. The total amount of debt taken to complete her degree: $0. I married a smart woman.

2. When your chosen profession requires it, DO pursue a degree: If you are passionate about becoming a public school teacher or a military officer, a college degree is the price of admission. Just understand the difference between when a degree is required and when it is only desired. For instance, you don’t need an MBA to succeed in business, write a book, create a great piece of art, or invent a new technology. Before you operate on someone’s brain though, someone will probably ask you for some credentials.

When not to pursue a degree:

1. DO NOT take on massive debt: How you feel about debt and how to leverage it is a personal matter, but here is my take on the subject: I don’t think it makes sense to mortgage my future, or my parents’ future, in pursuit of a college degree—at least when the profession I’ve chosen does not require it. If I were going to take on tens of thousands of dollars of debt I wouldn’t invest it in an MBA; I would invest it in a business where I would get a hands-on education AND have tangible contributions and assets to show for it. This is exactly what I’ve been doing and I’ve been self-employed now for over seven years. I supplement the experience of starting and growing a business with large doses of reading and collaboration. Moreover, there is no artificial end (like a graduation) to this kind of education. It can go on as long as I can make it go, maybe even longer if others can sustain it when I’m finished.

2. DO NOT pass up worthy opportunities: Presumably students attend college to attract opportunities so they can make a difference. So if you have a fleeting chance to make a difference, then make a difference. Would Microsoft be the company it is today if Bill Gates didn’t focus on building the company instead of completing his degree at Harvard? Probably not. If an opportunity presents itself, pounce on it. A friend of mine, Jeff Morin, who started several companies when he got out of the Marines almost three years ago, would probably lose millions of dollars over his lifetime had he decided to use his GI Bill benefits instead of growing his business which he started as a sergeant while on active duty. Plus, the education he received while getting his businesses off the ground is irreplaceable. He made the right choice for him. Bill Gates made the same choice, as did Michael Dell.

My point here is, don’t set yourself up for a life of regret. Even if my business fails in the future, I won’t regret having made the choice to pursue it. If it doesn’t work out at least I won’t have to live with the question, “What if I had pursued my passion when I had the opportunity?” I could live with the failure knowing I had given it my all. I couldn’t live with the knowledge that I was too scared to try. Could you?

Education and the mental discipline to develop it are critical. I believe the uneducated middle class will disappear. The unionized, high paying, low-skill jobs won’t be able to survive global competition. All low-skill jobs will necessarily turn into low-paying jobs or be outsourced. Your only defense is to become highly skilled – which requires becoming highly educated. Some people who become highly educated do so through college. Others are self-educated. Both ways can work. Whichever way you choose to become educated, first learn to learn, understand that you are the one ultimately responsible for your education, then commit yourself to a life of learning.

Semper Studiosus.