Post 12

There is no doubt that the schooling that Gandhi received in Law School in England was important to him and to his future as an activist, but just like for everyone who has ever gone to a school, at least as important is the education received outside the classroom. Social rules, new ideas, challenges to convictions and people of different heritages are encounters that we all face as we continue our education. Gandhi learned outside of school that he could defend his convictions (as with his decision to stay a vegetarian despite being surrounded by Hindus who did not prescribe to this) as well as learning that changing other people’s minds can be far more difficult than it may seem. He was heavily influenced by the works of famous British novelists who expounded on civil disobedience, belief in liberty, and religious will as ways to make important changes in life. Upon leaving England Gandhi was a staunch British supporter, as can be understood after a life and education in the nation. This is another aspect of his life that was unlikely to be learned in a classroom, but a trait the he gained as he fell in love with ideas of freedom, innovation of thought, and ruled by consent of the governed that are central to democracies like England’s.