Many people think “education” stops with school and is replaced by “training” in business. They’re missing the true, very uplifting, definition of education. I thought you might like this exploration of words and their meanings, the precise words that define a very liberating experience.
I’ve been in the business world for over 30 years. I’ve been called a consultant, trainer, coach, instructor, and instructional designer. Because I’ve specialized in working with large corporations, the word “educator” has hardly ever been used. And yet, that is how I see myself. Let me tell you why.
The word “education” came from “educare”, a Latin word meaning “to lead out”. Despite many examples to the contrary, it has nothing to do with “depositing information into another person.”
Education’s not a “putting in.” It’s a “leading out.”
The real definition of “education” can be found in Webster’s New World College Dictionary which says education is the process of developing the latent faculties and powers of a person. Let’s take these words apart and see what they mean for you.
“FACULTIES” are exceptional abilities or aptitudes. Think of faculties as a whole package of abilities that combine to create far beyond ordinary competence.
“LATENT” means present but not actualized. Actualized means “made actual or real.” Latent means these abilities are there … but are not yet revealed or visible. You can’t quite see them yet.
“POWER” means a great ability to produce a result.
“OF A PERSON” – “Of” means “belonging to” – this means, these abilities and powers already belong to you.
“DEVELOP” means to take from one stage of growth to another.
“PROCESS” means how you do something.
Good education is the process of developing your latent faculties. It helps you take your latent powers from one stage of growth to another until they are fully visible and under your complete control.
Your latent faculties or powers can be at any stage of development. What’s important is that they ARE there inside you already; they belong to you even now. True education just develops them, one stage to the next, until they are fully revealed.
How latent can they be? Well, they could just be a seed. If you’re reading this, you’re at least aware of something inside you that could be great. That’s a seed.
Or perhaps the seed has sprouted and this ability is growing – underground. It hasn’t broken soil yet where others can see it. You can feel it emerging, but right now, you’re the only one who sees it.
Perhaps your plant has broken soil and is now a tiny green shoot above ground.
Or perhaps the plant has grown taller and is starting to actually look like something.
Wherever you are in these stages, a great educator takes you from one phase through all stages of development until you arrive at your own sense of, “WOW!”
The important thing to know is that you already have powers, meaning you have great abilities to produce results, whether that power is a seed or a visibly growing plant … you’re capable of all I’ve written here.
Perhaps someone has stepped on and squashed your plant before it had time to grow. Education helps you with that too.
True education simply helps you keep developing your faculties and powers, leading them out, until you’re unmistakably powerful.
Sincerely,
Ingrid
