How Important Is An Education Towards Acheiving Success

Previously published October 2011

Do you really need an education to succeed in life?

Everyone in life needs an education of some manner in order to be a success. This is an inarguable fact, whether a person is educated at home by family members or a tutor, in a formal institution such as an accredited school, or largely on their own via trial, error, and independent study; no one can function well in life without having learned the components of basic literacy and important life skills.

Many people tend to think of education only as the knowledge imparted in formal institutions such as written, verbal and math skills learned in schools. Likewise, many also tend to think of success strictly in terms of monetary measures; however, at the most basic level, both success and education are attainable without either.

Education is more than just computations of figures or miscellaneous facts learned by rote from a book or even another person. It is essential social and emotional development that shapes character, influences behavior and decision making, and ultimately gives way to effective problem solving, communication skills, and creative, critical thinking. Education is both the ability to digest information intellectually, and put it to use in a practical manner; it is impossible to succeed in life without it.

It is education that allows a successful person to achieve their personal, spiritual and material goals. Whether success is seen by an individual as having a certain amount of money, a home filled with expensive things, a life partner, a family, or simply good health and happiness, these ideals are only attained with the appropriate “how to” information that is what education at the most basic level comes down to.

It is less important how an individual person’s education is attained than the actual process of doing so. Just as it is widely acknowledged educators and behavioral scientists that there are many different kinds of intelligence that exist, there are also many forms of education by which a person can acquire the information necessary to move them from one set of circumstances to another.

While it is true that many people throughout history have succeeded in life, monetarily or otherwise, without the benefit of formal education, those persons have been in the minority of their respective societies rather than in the majority. Literacy, the primary goal of education, whether obtained formally or informally, affects every aspect of life and is the key to success of every kind at every level.