When you hear someone extol the virtues of a liberal education, you will probably hear him or her say that “it teaches you how to think.” I’m sure that’s true. But for me, the central virtue of a liberal education is that it teaches you how to write, and writing makes you think. Whatever you do in life, the ability to write clearly, cleanly and reasonably quickly will prove to be an invaluable skill.

– from Chapter Three, “Learning to Think,” in In Defense of a Liberal Education by Fareed Zakaria