In college I took a religious studies class called The Letters of Paul for two reasons: I was named Paul and the professor, Cal Roetzel, was cool. It wasn’t practical, just for fun and challenge. We read Paul’s letter to the Romans at a rate of about three sentences per week, using multiple translations and centuries‑old commentaries, which made the course a slow, diligent, "theory of mind" exercise asking what Paul, translators, and commentators were thinking.

Later I saw ambiguous technical specs like 9.3.4: "If the system sends a signal hot and T>600, then senda message to the operator." The wording was unclear and self‑contradictory, requiring authorial intent to resolve. By asking critical questions about what people really meant, I prevented misunderstandings, saved companies money, and applied the close‑reading skills from that Religious Studies class.

Liberal arts education isn’t a set of disciplines but a philosophy that trains students to adapt to an unknown future, emphasizing curiosity, multiple perspectives, and critical examination. It contrasts with vocational training, which provides immediate, specific skills. The term artes liberalis originally meant "skills worthy of a free person," highlighting self‑determination rather than political liberalism. Thus, a liberal arts mindset equips developers to navigate evolving systems and uncertain requirements.