What is education for?

Certainly not to set oneself above others or to exclude them.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• education
• elitism
• inspiration

[originaljawz]

If it were not for my mother who tho herself never questioned anything - never stopped me from questioning allowed me to see the world from a very unique perspective ....

So much so that at my last job - my boss sent me the demotivational poster with the bent spoon and the title: "not everything unique is useful". I have been condemned all of my life for questioning too much and has had a very negative impact on who I am today. So I don't know anymore. I've stopped questioning.

[Loreleila]

@originaljawz That's a shame. I think questioning is an art. In a way your boss was right, but you have to be able to examine all sorts of things, even apparently absurd ones, to learn. Imo education should teach how to do this well.

[originaljawz]

@Loreleila thanx for responding :) I intentionally sought out a video like yours today, because I have an overly inquisitive 13 year old nephew who idolizes me to the point where I feel that it's beginning to interfere with his parents' and teachers' teachings. To top it off, he's becoming a depressed kid and comes to me because I have unconventional answers to his unique questions.

I'm beginning to fear that I might harm the kid by teaching him to be different.

[Loreleila]

@originaljawz You're welcome. Obviously this is only an opinion based on the information you've given me, but how can you teach him to be different when he clearly already is? I agree you need to act with caution, but if he's getting depressed, has unique questions, it seems he needs to learn how to be himself in a way which is helpful to him without making him too obvious to everyone until he's at ease with it. You're well placed to help him, but no one can help him to be 'normal' if he isn't.

[popebenadict16]

basically someone can still be a total tosspot even if they are highly educated.xx

[MetaCraken]

Leila! Thanks for making a video on this!

[originaljawz]

@Loreleila The kid caught me off-guard yesterday with a couple of really impulsive statements - which I thought should have been reserved for his parents. He understands that he's different (he's dyslexic, so that puts him apart anyways) but now he's at a stage where he's becoming self-conscious and aware of his fallacies. He said that he likes to be sad. And that if anybody laughs, he thinks it's directed at him. Perhaps the best thing to do would be to take things as they present themselves.

[PRESTOSAURUSREX]

Like George carlin said, it's so that the 800-900 people that run america can remain the elite and make all the decisions about MONEY. Thank John rockefeller and jp Morgan, horace mann and many others from that time period.

[Loreleila]

@Aerosteon The trouble is that accusing someone you don't know of anything is not a good way to communicate, and indicates someone who has been taught in a 'this is right and all else is wrong' sort of a way. If you want to learn more you might like to research unschooling and free schools. There are even channels at YouTube on the topic, but there is a great deal of information online if you're truly interested. But that is just a springboard, not the entire answer

[Aerosteon]

@Loreleila

I am not doing what I accused you of. Unlike your video I stated my experience as nothing more than my experience. I did not use it as a justification for sweeping assertions on the nature of academia. If you re-read my comment you will see it made no claims that your conclusion was correct or incorrect; I only pointed out a flaw in your presented argument.

Can you tell me more about the studies you have referenced, I want to learn more.

[Loreleila]

@Aerosteon No, it isn't, but as a psychologist I'm not at liberty to share the thousands of other stories I'm aware of, and there are a multiplicity of studies which bear out what I'm saying, sadly. I'm delighted your experience has been different, but it seems it is you who are doing what you accuse me of and not the other way about. Your experience is just that, one persons story.

[Aerosteon]

The argument you have presented here about education creating elitism and stifling new ideas is entirely based on anecdotes. The experiences you or your son may have had are not enough to make broad assertions. Far more often than not my educators have encouraged questioning, debate, and exploration.