If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.
Benjamin Franklin
Humans are bizarre creatures in that they may spend thousands of dollars on shopping, leisure and other avoidable activities, but they start having second thoughts when it comes to investing in their future. However, even as far as spending on one’s future is concerned, nothing pays as high a return as one’s education.
Parents are often guilty of trying to economize on their kids’ education. This could be, for example, by not signing them up for a tuition they need or not getting them a book that might help clear up some concepts in their heads. Unfortunately, they look at it as an unnecessary expense rather than an investment with high returns. One might pamper their child as much as they want, but none of that can help them make it big in life. On the other hand, the more attention and money that goes into educating them, the likelier they are to pay a higher return in a few years’ time.
Of course, one might be schooled with very little or no monetary investment. History is replete with examples of men who became great without any formal education to begin with. Likewise, there are people who have learned a lot more at their jobs than what their counterparts did at college. Furthermore, in the age of Internet, we have all the knowledge in the world at our disposal without having to spend a dime. That said, these examples are more of an exception than a rule. Even in the age of college dropouts, successful graduates easily outnumber flourishing individuals with no formal education.
Benjamin Franklin was an American scientist, author, diplomat, and philosopher. One of the founding fathers of the United States, Franklin once wrote: “If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.”