The Educated Person

          An educated person is one who feels they are never fully educated.  They are open-minded and listen without judgment.  They hope to learn something from every person they meet, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant it might be.  They question.  They question others and they question themselves.  They revisit their answers as they experience and learn new things.  The philosophical dialog goes on not just with peers, but with themselves.         
          They are always reaching.  Whether it is for new knowledge or for new accomplishments, they are never complacent.  They seek out situations where they will learn something new, or re-examine something they know about to hear the newest theories.
          The are not perfect, nor will they ever be.  They make mistakes and they handle them as best they can, with ultimately constructive solutions.  They also realize that other people make mistakes, that it is part of the human condition, and are forgiving of weaknesses and mistakes in others.  They learn from other people's mistakes as well as their own.
          They give of themselves whenver they can give.  They unconditionally give to others in trouble and give to their communities to causes they believe in, without regard for the personal credit of doing so.  They appreciate the arts, the humanities, technology and the sciences for no matter where we excel, each benefits us all.
          An educated person's cup is never full to the brim.  There is always room for a splash more.