10-16-2024, 05:07 PM
I think that the view is rather short-sighted. Let me give you a different perspective that's slightly imperfect but might be useful:
Think about a modern house... one of those big, luxury types that's just down the road from where we're staying: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4581-...2905_zpid/
For this analogy, it's going to be your mind and your knowledge.
Now think of the people who are building it -- you need architects, general contractors, electricians, plumbers, window and door installers, insulators, masons (for brickwork), contractors, roofers, and even people to grade and level foundations.
(analogy of Self Taught) You can decide how you want it built. You can build it by yourself. It's going to take a LOT of time, lots of equipment, and if you know what you're doing you might get it together by yourself (depending on time) in ten years or so (some of it will get ruined by weather and will have to be redone, of course.) If you don't know much about structural materials, you're in for all sorts of surprises. It may not be up to code, but you're not in an area with municipal code enforcement. Can you build a good house? Yes, but it's more difficult and even with research there's a lot you will have to go and redo. And then there's the landscape. Can you actually build something like that luxury home all by yourself with no help? Unlikely.
(analogy of public school education) You are building in an area with strong Homeowner's Association Codes. You may not like them, but you get an architect who sets up the specifics of the design that matches the code. The materials may (or may not) be inferior and there may be problems with the work crew (some may not be well licensed and some may be journeymen.) But you can build a house to a code standard in less than half a year. Putting together something like that luxury home? That's going to take much closer to a year by the the time you get the landscaping in.
(analogy of higher education) You get the architect, skilled workers, AND you get some heavy machinery. You are working to a plan that you can modify, but the ones helping you build are not top tradesmen. The building goes up in less time and is structurally more sound (because, yes, in college and beyond, they quit spoon-feeding you facts that will make you comfortable and start challenging you.) They will also show you what to look for in the systems so that if you add something new or get new contractors, you will know if the work they're doing is shoddy or not.
(analogy of post-graduate (Masters', PhD)) You get everything on higher education plus a big work crew - AND you start out with a finished house that's up to someone's code. But if you want to do a house of this type, there are three rules you have to follow: First: it's got to use the basic frame of your original house -- BUT -- you've got to make it two (Masters') or four (PhD) times larger. Second: Everything's got to be up to code, and they're going to have a new set of code inspectors who are very picky people. If the structure doesn't pass, you either have to abandon your design or try again. Third: you have to prove to the Homeowners Association that your building design is unique... that nobody else on the planet has a house that's exactly like yours. If they find another building like yours, they withdraw your permit. You have to prove it by submitting photos of every other house in existence that's the same size or larger AND you have to show what buildings and architects are your influence in this design.
Formal education may be boring (like an apprenticeship) but it gives you a structured path for learning (you learn addition before you learn algebra). It could use revision and modification, yes. It can be better or worse than self-taught/home-taught (and vice-versa.) Research, once you have advanced degrees, is amazing. You learn where some of the details and archives are hiding (things that the ordinary person wouldn't know to ask about or to look for). The trip (getting to that level) is amazing and... (sigh) I wish I could give you the tools to experience it in the same way I do.
We are both standing on the shore of an incalculably large sea of unknown unknowns (that's not a typo). The difference is that you're looking at it with your eyes, and I've got several telescopes and a good pair of binoculars.
Think about a modern house... one of those big, luxury types that's just down the road from where we're staying: https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4581-...2905_zpid/
For this analogy, it's going to be your mind and your knowledge.
Now think of the people who are building it -- you need architects, general contractors, electricians, plumbers, window and door installers, insulators, masons (for brickwork), contractors, roofers, and even people to grade and level foundations.
(analogy of Self Taught) You can decide how you want it built. You can build it by yourself. It's going to take a LOT of time, lots of equipment, and if you know what you're doing you might get it together by yourself (depending on time) in ten years or so (some of it will get ruined by weather and will have to be redone, of course.) If you don't know much about structural materials, you're in for all sorts of surprises. It may not be up to code, but you're not in an area with municipal code enforcement. Can you build a good house? Yes, but it's more difficult and even with research there's a lot you will have to go and redo. And then there's the landscape. Can you actually build something like that luxury home all by yourself with no help? Unlikely.
(analogy of public school education) You are building in an area with strong Homeowner's Association Codes. You may not like them, but you get an architect who sets up the specifics of the design that matches the code. The materials may (or may not) be inferior and there may be problems with the work crew (some may not be well licensed and some may be journeymen.) But you can build a house to a code standard in less than half a year. Putting together something like that luxury home? That's going to take much closer to a year by the the time you get the landscaping in.
(analogy of higher education) You get the architect, skilled workers, AND you get some heavy machinery. You are working to a plan that you can modify, but the ones helping you build are not top tradesmen. The building goes up in less time and is structurally more sound (because, yes, in college and beyond, they quit spoon-feeding you facts that will make you comfortable and start challenging you.) They will also show you what to look for in the systems so that if you add something new or get new contractors, you will know if the work they're doing is shoddy or not.
(analogy of post-graduate (Masters', PhD)) You get everything on higher education plus a big work crew - AND you start out with a finished house that's up to someone's code. But if you want to do a house of this type, there are three rules you have to follow: First: it's got to use the basic frame of your original house -- BUT -- you've got to make it two (Masters') or four (PhD) times larger. Second: Everything's got to be up to code, and they're going to have a new set of code inspectors who are very picky people. If the structure doesn't pass, you either have to abandon your design or try again. Third: you have to prove to the Homeowners Association that your building design is unique... that nobody else on the planet has a house that's exactly like yours. If they find another building like yours, they withdraw your permit. You have to prove it by submitting photos of every other house in existence that's the same size or larger AND you have to show what buildings and architects are your influence in this design.
Formal education may be boring (like an apprenticeship) but it gives you a structured path for learning (you learn addition before you learn algebra). It could use revision and modification, yes. It can be better or worse than self-taught/home-taught (and vice-versa.) Research, once you have advanced degrees, is amazing. You learn where some of the details and archives are hiding (things that the ordinary person wouldn't know to ask about or to look for). The trip (getting to that level) is amazing and... (sigh) I wish I could give you the tools to experience it in the same way I do.
We are both standing on the shore of an incalculably large sea of unknown unknowns (that's not a typo). The difference is that you're looking at it with your eyes, and I've got several telescopes and a good pair of binoculars.
