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Unit14FiveTraitsoftheEducatedManAquestionoftenaskedis:Whatarethemarksofaneducatedman?Itisplainthatonemaygainnoinconsiderablebodyoflearninginsomespecialfieldofknowledgewithoutatthesametimeacquiringthosehabitsandtraitswhicharethemarksofaneducatedgentleman.Areasonableamountoflearningmustofcourseaccompanyaneducation,but,afterall,thatamountneednotbesoverygreatinanyonefield.Aneducationwillmakeitsmarkandfinditsevidencesincertaintraits,characteristics,andcapacitieswhichhavetobeacquiredbypatientendeavor,byfollowinggoodexamples,andbyreceivingwisedisciplineandsoundinstructions.Thesetraitsorcharacteristicsmaybevariouslydescribedandclassified,butamongthemarefivethatshouldalwaysstandoutclearlyenoughtobeseenbyallmen.Thefirstoftheseiscorrectnessandprecisionintheuseofthemothertongue.ThequiteshockingslovenlinessandvulgarityofmuchofthespokenEnglish,aswellasnotalittleofthewrittenEnglish,whichonehearsandsees,provesbeyondperadventurethatyearsofattendanceuponschoolsandcollegesthatarethoughttoberespectablehaveproducednoimpression.WhenonehearsEnglishwellspoken,withpurediction,correctpronunciation,andanalmostunconsciouschoiceoftherightword,herecognizesitatonce.HowmucheasierhefindsittoimitateEnglishoftheothersort!Asecondandindispensabletraitoftheeducatedmanisrefinedandgentlemanners,whicharethemselvestheexpressionoffixedhabitsofthoughtandaction.Mannersmaketheman,wroteWykehamWilliamoverhisgatesatWinchesterandatOxford.Hepointedtoagreattruth.Whenmannersaresuperficial,artificial,andforced,nomatterwhattheirform,theyarebadmanners.When,however,theyarethenaturalexpressionoffixedhabitsofthoughtandaction,andwhentheyrevealarefinedandcultivatednature,theyaregoodmanners.Therearecertainthingsthatgentlemendonotdo,andtheydonotdothemsimplybecausetheyarebadmanners.Thegentlemaninstinctivelyknowsthedifferencebetweenthosethingswhichhemayandshoulddoandthosethingswhichhemaynotandshouldnotdo.Athirdtraitoftheeducatedmanisthepowerandhabitofreflection.Humanbeingsforthemostpartlivewhollyonthesurfaceoflife.Theydonotlookbeneaththesurfaceorfarbeyondthepresentmomentandthatpartofthefuturewhichisquicklytofollowit.Theydonotreadthoseworksofproseandpoetrywhichhavebecomeclassicbecausetheyrevealpowerandhabitofreflectionandinducethatpowerandhabitinothers.Whenonereflectslongenoughtoaskthequestionhow?Heisonthewaytoknowingsomethingaboutscience.Whenhereflectslongenoughtoaskthequestionwhy?Hemay,ifhepersists,evenbecomeaphilosopher.Afourthtraitoftheeducatedmanisthepowerofgrowth.Hecontinuestogrowanddevelopfrombirthtohisdyingday.Hisinterestsexpand,hiscontactsmultiply,hisknowledgeincreases,andhisreflectionbecomesdeeperandwider.Itwouldappeartobetruethatnotmanyhumanbeings,andevennotmanyofthosewhohavehadacollegeeducation,continuetogrowaftertheyaretwenty-fourortwenty-fiveyearsofage.Bythattimeitisusualtosettledowntolifeonalevelofmoreorlesscontentedintellectualinterestandactivity.Thewholepresentdaymovementforadulteducationisasystematicanddefiniteattempttokeephumanbeingsgrowinglongaftertheyhaveleftschoolandcollege,and,therefore,tohelpeducatethem.Afifthtraitoftheeducatedmanishispossessionofefficiency,orthepowertodo.Themerevisionarydreamer,howevercharmingorhoweverwise,lackssomethingwhichaneducationrequires.Thepowertodomaybeexercisedinanyoneofathousandways,butwhenitclearlyshowsitself,thatisevidencethattheperiodofstudy,ofdiscipline,andofcompanionshipwithparentsandteachershasnotbeeninvain.Giventhesefivecharacteristics,onehastheoutlineofaneducatedman.Thatoutlinemaybefilledinbyscholarship,byliterarypower,bymechanicalskills,byprofessionalzealandcapacity,bybusinesscompetence,orbysocialandpoliticalleadership.Solongastheframeworkoroutlineisthere,thecontentmaybeprettymuchwhatyouwill,assuming,ofcourse,thatthefundamentalelementsofthegreattraditionwhichiscivilization,anditsoutstandingrecordsandachievementsinhumanpersonality,inletters,inscience,inthefinearts,andinhumaninstitutions,areallpresent.教养的五个特征常常有这么一个问题：“一个有教养的人的标志是什么？”很显然，可能一个人在获取了某个专业知识领域大量的知识的同时，却未能养成作为一个有教养的人标志性的那些习惯和特征。教育理所当然会伴随着一定量的合理学习，而终究来说，这个量不可过多集中于某一个领域。一种教育会留下自身的标志并表现出一定的特征、特性和能力，而这些又需要通过耐心的努力，学习榜样，以及接受明智的管教和有效的指导才能获得。对这些特征或特性的描述和分类可能不尽相同，而所有人都应该能注意到，其中有五个特征是非常明显的。第一个是对母语的精确运用。人们在英语口语中会惊奇地听到大量混乱和粗俗的用法，在英语书面语中也读到不少，这些都无疑表明多年在中学、大学里接受的高尚教育没能在人们脑海里留下任何印象。当一个人听到规范的英语，纯正的发音方式，准确的发音和脱口而出的正确措辞，他会马上明白：模仿另一种不规范的英语要容易得多！第二个不可或缺的特征是温文尔雅的举止，这本身就是自身的思维和行为习惯的表现。维克汉·威廉在温切斯特和牛津大学的门上写着“举止造就人”。他指出了一个伟大的真理。如果举止是肤浅的、虚伪的以及被迫的，那么无论外在形式怎样，都是不良举止。而当举止是自身固有的思维和行动的自然表现，或是展示出了优雅和有教养的天性，那就是优良举止。有一些事情绅士们不会去做，他们不去做的原因就是因为那是不良的举止。绅士会本能地知道哪些是可以并且应该做的事，哪些是不可以并且不应该做的事。教养的第三个特征是深思的能力和习惯。大多数人完全关注于现实或者超越现实考虑即将到来的未来。他们不去阅读已经成为经典的散文和诗歌作品，因为他们已表现出了深思的能力和习惯，并且促使其他人形成了这样的能力和习惯。当一个人经过长时间思索问出“怎么样？”的问题时，他已经接近科学了。当一个人经过长时间思索问出“为什么？”的问题时，一旦坚持下去，他就有可能成为哲学家。教养的第四个特征是成长的能力。他从出生到死亡一直在成长和发展。他的兴趣扩大，交流增多，知识递增。思考得更为深邃和开阔。有不多的人甚至少有受过大学教育的人能够在二十四五岁后仍能继续成长，这种事似乎是真的。到那时人们通常已经安于生活，并多多少少满足于一定水平的乐趣和智力活动。目前的成人教育活动就是一项帮助离开中学或大学的人继续成长，并因此帮助教育他们的系统的、明确的行动。教养的第五个特征是行动的效率，或者说是做事的能力。如果仅是一个空想家，无论多么迷人或博学，都缺少受教育者的一些特征。可以有上千种锻炼做事的能力的方法，而在能力明明白白展现出来的那一刺，才证明了那些花在学习、训练和接受家长、教师辅助上的时间没有白费。一个人拥有了这五个特性，他就具备了有教养的基本轮