The human mind can only know 150 people well. Yet the average multinational firm can coordinate the efforts of thousands of workers. How do the managers at the top know who is qualified for which task and what will make those people work best? The ability to interpret symbolic artifacts (reading) is paramount. A society is more productive for its members who have academic reading ability. But education also serves as an institution of credibility; it tells us who’s good for what.

The information and skills attained through education, other than the ability to read, is usually not very useful; often it’s not even true. From the standpoint of the individual, education unlocks doors because it gives you credibility in greater circles of people. Today’s top managers earn more than 141 times their lowest paid workers. This does not reflect differences in skills, knowledge or even talent; those at the top can leverage their credibility in ever wider arenas.

To be sure, there are other ways to earn credibility. If you live in a small town, people will know you from your neighborly interactions. If you work for a small company, you can build a good reputation over many years of diligent service. But in today’s economy, you can accomplish a more widely recognized version of the same thing—and do it faster—by proving your mastery of a bunch of useless stuff at a prestigious college that will only accept you if they already believe you’re really smart. Isn’t modern society a wonder?

Knowledge and skill create independence, hence freedom.