I have received different words of encouragement and reason to study since I came from a poor country: "study so that you don't end up poor."

Now, those words are true but is one-sidedly blind because it plants the idea that education only exists as means to earn better money, instead of teaching that its true intention is to broaden the person's knowledge and mind. Many college-educated people I know are still superstitious and religious, and don't apply what they learned into their everyday lives. They only view education as something more of a hurdle barring their way to earning money, and throw what was taught to them unless they are at work.

It is not necessarily the fault of people though, the education system outside of the West is heavy on rote-learning, emphasis on discipline and order and following authority. There is less focus on critical thinking. Particularly in East Asia, the education system is cutthroat and very much similar to the Prussian education system-- which is designed to condition students to become future good workers for businesses, and less so as thinking and free individuals.