What are the motifs in Meetings with Remarkable Men by G. I. Gurdjieff?

Education is a recurring idea. Gurdjieff has no time for modern education. He does not see any worth in it whatsoever. He feels that his father had brought him up in the correct way, teaching him manual skills that come in handy for making money later on and for allowing his special tutoring in the skills of the mind. Additionally, his father taught his son how to live in the world without fear or shyness. Life can get tough, so get tough with it.