Since when do you learn anything in school anyways?

Day 28


To start, I have to say it's only been 28 days into 2010 and it's been a long year already; productive...but long!

Today's topic is education in general...public education in specific and the task of learning how to "un-learn" that which was force fed to many of us for so many years...this topic was inspired actually in a classroom (go figure) while watching a movie on Christopher Columbus. Yup, one of the greatest force fed incidents of ignorance in my opinion was the story of Christopher Columbus, how he "discovered" America, made friends with the Indians, "civilized" them...and made happy thanksgiving...nope his ass got LOST in the Bahamas, he has nothing to do with thanksgiving and if I hear the native people referred to as Indians one more time I'll go crazy...Indians are clearly from India...

I've noticed an institutional trend since a very young age...you are only equipped with the tools necessary to barely get through that institution. This is true of hospitals, jails/prisons, foster homes/orphanages, other service/product oriented institutions, and my focal point schools.From a purely business perspective it's absolutely necessary for you to create a sort of dependence on your product or service. It increases the amount of money you make, decreases the amount of work you have to do and makes you, your product or service, and the value you have a priority to those "in need".However from a psychological aspect it’s extremely crippling and the source for so much that is viewed as "bad" in the world today.

Everything and I repeat EVERYTHING you interact with, your feelings about it, your method to approach or deal with it, how you feel about yourself, others, what you're interested in, so on and so fourth is a result of a LEARNED interaction, behavior, or response.

We are taught to become sheep...to follow all rules, signs, and regulations without question...to go for routine check ups and dentist appointments and put money in doctors and dentist’s pockets but not how to take care of ourselves so that we may not need to go. To ignore doors with a "do not enter" sign on it even in the event of an emergency lest we be told by someone of "authority" that it's ok. And who may I ask is responsible for that authority? ...right...I hear crickets.

My whole life I was encouraged to be a "non conformist" of sorts and to question everything...to think for myself as the question was asked of me time and time again "what does your brain tell you?" and thus I could read, recognize, and regurgitate the bulls*it "learned" in school, and then go out on my own and piece things together for what they were.

And as a result I was always a star in school because I was "smart"...no sir, not me...no smarter than anyone else in my classes...I just questioned, and followed up on what I didn't understand. I processed and thought about the information I received and then came to conclusions that I could share rather than recite information like a robot...my parents also didn't sugar coat or "age appropriate" any information that I may have been concerned about knowing. I encourage you all to take the time to reevaluate and relearn everything you "think" you've learned...especially you religious ones out there...how could I forget my next favorite institution...THE CHURCH! ;-)

Let's all snap out of the matrix guys...this day and age there is no excuse to be blind...the 9 year old's walking around with blackberries literally have access to more power on their hip than any "school" can offer. READ READ READ AND EDUCATE YOURSELF!because once you graduate from high school, or get your multiple degrees and owe the government thousands of dollars in dept and realize that all you earned was a piece of paper and NOT an education...you'll be a heartbroken, ignorant, and blind, sheep with degrees.