Who is a well-educated humanbeing?

If you want to have something to say about everything, naturally, you need to know a lot. But wanting to know is not always enough. You have to put a lot of effort into this. No matter how enthusiastic you are, it may not always be possible to find the right spot. It is a good method to learn from someone where to look at the main issues in order to 'talk and say something', to save time and to get the right information from the right place. Do not hesitate to ask someone, someone who really knows something will be happy to pass on his knowledge to the one who asks, having already been asked.

Regardless of your worldview, political ideology or religious belief, always read and listen to the 'other' or 'opposite view'. For example, if you read Sözcü or Cumhuriyet newspapers, go and read newspapers such as Milliyet and Yeni Şafak. Try to learn something from the other side as well. Variety, different directions is good. It saves people from thinking monotonously and at the same time allows us to see different aspects of a subject. Be 'apolitical' in acquiring knowledge and learning, do not be narrow-minded.

Do not try to defend what you believe in and defend as if it were 'the last branch to hold on', blindly and under all circumstances. Don't make it to the point of bigotry. Do not try to sculpt every article or research you read according to your own ideology or belief, or to make an interpretation from that perspective.

You can't be an expert in every area of ​​life. But, you can specialize in one or at most two areas. In addition, know at least something about other fields. But you need to take your area of ​​expertise very seriously. Otherwise, you will end up in the situation of the people you criticize. Sports, art or politics etc. Whatever you are dealing with, be sure to study, practice, and deepen. Don't tie everything to conspiracy theories, but don't be naive either.

If you have the opportunity or a good opportunity comes your way, make an effort to learn one or more languages. I would like to point out that I personally suffer from this a lot. There are all kinds of visual and written resources on the internet for those who want to learn. Most of them provide transportation for free or with a small payment.

It is very important to know the basic theories and early theorists of sociology. Sociologists have chosen the best books among themselves. Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Herbert Spencer, August Comte, Michel Foucault, Mills etc. Think people need to read. Apart from that, I recommend you to research the basic concepts and theories, at least at an encyclopedic level, in fields such as psychology, anthropology, and political science. The most important reason for me to bring sociology to the fore among these sciences is that it deals with a wide field, including sciences such as geography, economy and communication, and has a holistic view. It also gives the ability to look at the same event from different angles.

Philosophy is very important. Understanding the truth is a necessity to read philosophy again. Kant, John Locke, Thomas Aquinas, Rene Descartes, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Sartre, Nietzsche etc. Without reading it, it becomes difficult to understand the foundations of today's civilization. Be sure to read Ghazali and Ibn Sina. Strive to learn not only philosophers but also philosophical terms. You can start your journey by learning common concepts such as postmodernism, globalization, and paradigm shift. That's what I did and still do.

I suggest you pay special attention to literature. In Turkish Literature, the works of writers such as Yaşar Kemal, Tarık Buğra, Ahmet Hamdi Tanpınar, Sabahattin Ali, Orhan Pamuk, Peyami Safa, Halit Ziya can be read selectively. Among foreign writers, I recommend that you give priority to Russian, English and French classics within that wide range of preferences. Stay away from today's popular books as much as possible. Most are like carob, so you eat a lot; but you get little taste.

One of the subjects that I personally lack is the branch of fine arts. Know basic people and concepts in fields such as cinema, painting, music. When you hear concepts and movements such as film, cubism, ballad, at least be aware of what they mean.

Religion; No matter what religion you believe in, be sure to read the translations of the Qur'an, Bible and Torah. The Bible knowledge of many atheists in Europe is above our Muslims' knowledge of the Qur'an. You are not expected to know the Qur'an in depth. You can still read the translation. One of our Turkish religious scholars, Elmalılı Hamdi Yazır's interpretation (I am not saying the translation) is very good. In addition, there are scholars such as Kadı Beydavi and Zemezahşeri, whose commentaries can be read. Also, learn at least the history of religions and belief systems such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Baha'iism. Otherwise, you cannot give the necessary answers to the dishonest people who talk about fezli.

From time to time I wrote articles about the field of sports. Since sport is perceived as football in our country, there are good resources if you know English to learn what sport is. For example, I recommend works by authors such as Kuper, Zirin, Leitch, Lazenby, Halberstam, Benedict on sports culture, clubs and fans. Unfortunately, very few of them have been translated into Turkish.

natural sciences; Knowing basic sciences such as physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, geometry and biology will provide you with great convenience in your life. Even if you are prone to social sciences, for example, knowing the difference between quantum physics and Newtonian physics will also benefit you in social sciences. Thus, you can have the happiness of understanding my brother Suat Yaman.

If possible, subscribe to foreign and domestic scientific technical publications. Do not neglect to read fiction books from time to time. It broadens your horizons, diversifies your thinking world.

As someone who has read enough science-fiction works, if you are wondering which genres fall into this category, I would say take a look here. Reading non-fiction makes you 'direct' knowledgeable. More non-fiction, more information, of course; but be selective. Don't buy a book without reading the reviews.

Living abroad or traveling abroad also gives people great awareness. If you have the opportunity at some point in your life, it would be good to do these experiences. This is my favorite job. Who doesn't like to travel, right? In this way, I have always had the opportunity to see not only the language but also the culture, philosophy of life, and the different functioning of many institutions, especially the political institution, of the country I went to. For the countries to visit, Europe or the USA may be your first choice in terms of the opportunities and conveniences it offers. My preference has always been eastern cultures and people. Maybe it's because it's their ancestral land. Who knows? As long as we are not an extremely backward country (which we can learn a lot from even from the culture of backward countries), middle-class countries at the Turkish level can also be preferred. Do not be prejudiced against any country or culture!

They say it is possible to live with the Other, to get to know someone, by shopping, going on a trip or living together. For example, if you are Muslim, secular, Sunni or Turkish, live with a Kurd, a member of a cult or community, an Assyrian, an idealist, a communist, an Alevi, an atheist for a while or go on a trip! Or try different combinations at work. Make jokes and jokes with each other, believe me, you will have many things to tell each other. But be careful to choose these people from those who are well-behaved.

We come to the most important fact; to love. It is not possible to learn anything without loving people. The person who thinks differently from you is not your enemy, it is a learning and experience opportunity for you. Without love, there is no thought, no depth, no perspective. Without love, philosophy and religion would be incomplete.

The article may have seemed a little messy to you. I wanted to touch a lot of things, to give you my brief thoughts on most things. There is so much to learn, life is just that short.