Character and Liberal Arts
When you receive a liberal arts education you are not only developing your mind, you are also developing your character. By gaining knowledge in several areas of study, rather than just one subject, you learn to approach problems by several different angles. This helps develop your character because you stop focusing on one viewpoint and put yourself in other people's shoes. You stop being selfish and egotistical and start listening to other people and respecting their opinions.
This is the best value that a liberal arts education helps students cultivate. You stop focusing on your own viewpoint and consider the needs of other people as well. By learning to accept people who have different viewpoints than you do, you become a more well-rounded individual which helps you become a better person. Once you learn that the decisions you make impact everyone around you, and not just you yourself, you become a better person.
I believe that Loras has helped me see the world through other people's perspectives. By doing this I am able to see things in a different light, and am able to use this to gain more knowledge and make decisions that are better for those around me. I have learned more about myself as a result of attending Loras than I would have had I gone to a state university. By gaining a more well-rounded view of the world I am also able to better understand myself and the way that my actions impact others.
Austin, I agree with you that a liberal arts education not only helps people develop their mind in unfamiliar or unknown areas, but also helps them develop their character. The benefit of attending a liberal arts institution is that it will provide people with the tools to build a stronger character based on flexibility and understanding others. As you mentioned above, hopefully this type of education will teach people to be respectful to others’ opinions and they will understand that even if someone disagrees with an argument, that does not give them the right to be disrespectful. Instead, it will allow them to become a better person and to be aware of differences that they will encounter in the future.
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