Imagine you are a secret agent from Mission: Impossible, or Kingsman, or whatever your favorite spy movie is.
You are the one bravely navigating through enemy territory. Yet, you are also in partnership with a mastermind (found in every movie) who can build the latest technological gear for you. This mastermind also understands the ins-and-outs of the enemy territory — therefore this person is there for your requests, or guiding you with instructions.
All of the sudden you see an obstacle, and you must adapt. Will your training kick in, or your education?
The difference between education and training is similar to the difference between a mapmaker and an explorer. Or like thinking versus doing — the idealist versus the practitioner.
I used to be one of those practical people who dismissed school in favor of actual work. I liked learning by doing.
After all, some explorers say that exploration is the best teacher. They can clearly see this river, this building, and every other landmark with their own eyes. They can learn their way around. Why bother with maps at all?
But at the end of the day, theories carry weight. It is powerful to bridge discrete events into a wider phenomenon. An explorer could identify a plant species they’ve read about, for example.
Without education, you limit your perspective and only learn from your immediate circle of friends and personal experiences, instead of considering the equally valid people throughout history and the world.
Then again, the mapmaker has distilled most of their information from explorers. Without experience, there are no conclusions to draw. Practitioners must navigate places before feeling out and formalizing a map of reality.
Thus, education and training inform each other. Both are important and allow you to see clearly. Instead of being an out-of-touch mapmaker or a risky explorer, it is our role to connect the dots between them.
