The Student Room Group

A well educated person

What subjects does a "well educated" person know or should know about.

For instance should they have a good grasp of:-

The classics (ie Bronte etc)
Shakespeare
Greek Mythology
A couple of languages
Opera
Classical music
General knowledge

Have I missed an important one ?

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Reply 1
nubz
Original post by sswf224
What subjects does a "well educated" person know or should know about.

For instance should they have a good grasp of:-

The classics (ie Bronte etc)
Shakespeare
Greek Mythology
A couple of languages
Opera
Classical music
General knowledge

Have I missed an important one ?


Oh I'd say you're missing a few important ones alright.... :redface:
Reply 3
You missed out:
Important scientific theories
History of the world/at least their country
Basic principles of philosophy and religion
That sounds like what a show off at a middle class chatterati dinner party should know about.

You can be well educated in different ways. Knowing maths, science, economics, politics, history etc are all more useful IMO than those arts.

You do come across from time to time either someone you work with or an annoying uncle etc who appears to know 'everything about everything', invariably they don't know as much as they reckon, but they like to take advantage of the fact that you don't know much about the subject either so can blag a bit. Arts bores are especially annoying, no offence to people who enjoy the arts, but I do find it very pretentious.
Reply 5
A well educated person has no reason to give a damn about the classics or greek mythology, general knowledge and languages are good and you missed maths. Don't know about opera never seen one.
Knowing about those things doesn't make you well educated.
If you're going to be traditional, a certain grasp of philosophy and the sciences, as well a decent well-rounded knowledge of important historical events, although I suppose they could fit into general knowledge.

Social etiquette is important as well. I don't mean acting like a snob, but general table/conversational manners etc. The amount of people I've met who can't even handle a knife and fork correctly is disturbing.

Also, I think it's important to not be too traditional and set in one's ways. A well-educated person should know about contemporary issues and not just ignore them because they don't agree with them.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Kitty Pryde
Knowing about those things doesn't make you well educated.


No, it doesn't. But a well educated person should know about those kinds of things. There's a difference.
Reply 9
Original post by MagicNMedicine
That sounds like what a show off at a middle class chatterati dinner party should know about.

You can be well educated in different ways. Knowing maths, science, economics, politics, history etc are all more useful IMO than those arts.

You do come across from time to time either someone you work with or an annoying uncle etc who appears to know 'everything about everything', invariably they don't know as much as they reckon, but they like to take advantage of the fact that you don't know much about the subject either so can blag a bit. Arts bores are especially annoying, no offence to people who enjoy the arts, but I do find it very pretentious.


yep i find people who go on and on about a painting very boring, this is why if i ever have to go to an art exhibition or something like that i bring some friends along so we can at the very least have a laugh.
Original post by Rascacielos
If you're going to be traditional, a certain grasp of philosophy and the sciences, as well a decent well-rounded knowledge of important historical events, although I suppose they could fit into general knowledge.

Social etiquette is important as well. I don't mean acting like a snob, but general table/conversational manners etc. The amount of people I've met who can't even handle a knive and fork correctly is disturbing.


Whenever I see a person eat with their fork in their right hand and their knive in their left, I die a little inside.
Reply 11
Original post by Rascacielos
No, it doesn't. But a well educated person should know about those kinds of things. There's a difference.


wrong! being well educated means you know sciency stuff, writing and maths i'm not going to list them all because i dont want to, there is no need to know those things if they are of no interest to you.
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Rascacielos
No, it doesn't. But a well educated person should know about those kinds of things. There's a difference.


Not really, someone could be well educated and not know of these things but they might know a lot about other things.
Original post by HSG1992
Whenever I see a person eat with their fork in their right hand and their knive in their left, I die a little inside.


Yes, or people who just refuse to use cutlery at all. :facepalm2:
there's one: such kind of questions won't be asked by an educated person
Reply 15
I do so agree with MagicNmedicine - art bores - arghhhh - where's my shotgun.........
Original post by sswf224

The classics (ie Bronte etc)
Shakespeare
Greek Mythology
Opera
Classical music


Unless you actually have an interest in this stuff, it's just pretentious nonsense. Who cares about Greek myth? Harry Potter is more relevant to most of the world.
Original post by Kitty Pryde
Not really, someone could be well educated and not know of these things but they might know a lot about other things.



Original post by xanatos32
wrong! being well educated means you know sciency stuff and maths, there is no need to know those things if they are of no interest to you.



It's a subjective issue. I have a very traditional view of what being well-educated means. Besides, I completely disagree that a knowledge of science and maths immediately leads to being well-educated. There's such a hatred on TSR of humanities, language etc, which are highly important in order to be a well-rounded person. Knowing about science and such things is important, granted, but it's very one-sided.
Original post by Rascacielos
Yes, or people who just refuse to use cutlery at all. :facepalm2:


This is why I always carry a Swiss army knife. Just in case my friends invite me to go watch a film and I need to eat popcorn. :biggrin:
Reply 19
i can't answer because i'm not educated that well. i suppose:

shakespear
dickins
etc
basic religious principles
basic maths
music to some extent (classical)

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