Some Ancient Wisdom for Modern Dentists

What does it mean to be educated? I suppose one could say it means having a mountain of debt – considering what it costs to obtain a university degree these days. A less cynical answer is to say that being properly educated is instrumental to achieving success. If you have a licence to practice dentistry, for instance, you get to experience the practical rewards of having received a specialized education.

But if you are looking for a deeper and more philosophical answer to that important question, I suggest considering the words of one of the great thinkers of the ancient world – the Greek philosopher Socrates. When he was presented with this question, he said that the mark of an educated person is that they have begun to understand how much they don't know.

I think if you have lived long enough you have probably experienced feeling confidence in your knowledge and ability at something, only to discover that there were whole worlds beyond your current understanding. For some people that can be earth-shattering. For those who love the idea of education as lifelong learning, it is a wondrous revelation.

This is one of my favorite parts of watching people come through the campus for one of our hands-on workshops. We get to see dentists suddenly see their profession and their own possibilities with fresh eyes – even dentists who have been in practice for many years. It's not just what they learn during the session that excites them, it's that they are invigorated by finding that there is SO much more to discover.

These are smart people who have spent lots of time and money on the training and experience to get them where they are. But as Socrates pointed out, they truly become educated when they realize how far they can still go.