Implications of Human Meta-Competencies for Liberal Education from a Multi-Stage Life Perspective

This study critiques the traditional sequential life paradigm in an era marked by longevity and technological innovation, and introduces the multi-stage life approach, as proposed by Lynda Gratton, Andrew Scott, and Mauro F. Guillén, as a compelling alternative. The multi-stage life approach challenges the rigid, time-bound notion that life progresses in distinct phases education, work, and retirement, or play, education, work, and retirement each tied to specific age groups. Instead, it advocates for a more flexible and personalized trajectory, where individuals can, through deliberate choices, create new stages or dynamically rearrange and combine education, work, retirement, and leisure to shape a life that aligns with their preferences and circumstances. Based on this model, this study further conceptualizes the ideal individual as the ‘Perennial’—someone who continuously unlocks and expresses their potential across the lifespan. The Perennial’s meta-competencies are classified into ‘decision-making competence’, ‘transformative competence’, and ‘transcultural competence’. Within this framework, the study provides forward-looking insights into the evolving role and developmental imperatives of liberal education in nurturing human dignity.