In beginning an address on the importance of the humanities to community college occupational education, one could draw from actual classroom experiences to illustrate the difficulties of teaching the humanities or the positive impact the humanities can have upon students; consider ways of building bridges between the humanities and technology; discuss those areas of knowledge that aren't amenable to scientific inquiry; or examine the need for individuals to recognize latent, yet powerful, societal influences, such as the maturation of the baby boom generation or the subtle impact of recordings on individuals' reactions to music. Central to all of these themes is the realization that study of the humanities provides the student with a mirror of life which strengthens the faculty of self-reflection. By studying the work ethic in literature, or by examining various cultures through their art and literature, the student acquires a new self-image that allows him/her to: perceive the relationships between life, work, and job; reflect on the meaning of habits and beliefs; and respond with reason and feeling to the social and natural environments. Surely, the cultivation of this self-reflection is as important for vocational students as it is for students of the liberal arts and, thus, it is incumbent upon educators to plan and implement methods of strengthening the humanities in vocational curricula. (JP)