Those leaving formal education tend to fall into two broad categories.
Those who believe they were tested and found wanting, lacking 'the right stuff' to become truly knowledgeable like the "Square hats"... and those who embraced their full potential, who know they are more learned, qualified and insightful than the "Trucker caps."
The trucker caps spend their lives believing they're part of an academic underclass, which needs to be lead through the complex mire of economic and political reality by square hat members of the intelligentsia; elected representatives who 'understand all this stuff' and can steer the economy safely through the rocky reefs which lie just under the surface, deeper than their own shallow comprehension could ever hope to penetrate.
School has subtracted their confidence in their ability to successfully run their own lives.
They've been taught that they need to vote for somebody else to do it.
The square hats are specialists. In at least one field of study, they understand more than the common man, they know how to think, what to think, and where to get additional information if required. Their laser focus has penetrated the fog of ignorance which surrounds the trucker caps. They're not mean spirited about this. They don't gloat. Its a sacred duty, as the anointed keeper of knowledge, to bestow the benefit of their wisdom on the unthinking masses, who would doubltess flounder without it.
School has multiplied their arrogance. They agree that trucker caps can't run their own lives.
They've been taught that they need to vote for somebody else to do it.
The twisted beauty of this, is that it schools each individual right up to the point where he's sick of being educated, then releases him with a head full of collectivist nonsense, and a distaste for learning which leaves the nonsense unexamined, often for decades.
I was out of school for ten years before I rediscovered my love of learning; despite attending an excellent school with an incredibly wise, insightful principal.
(He had us read Orwell's '1984', and Huxley's 'Brave New World'. 'Huxley' is a curse word in a Christian school, but he took us there anyway).
School is a voter factory.
It takes children full of curiosity and turns them into adults full of certainty; certain of things which aren't true.
You know what?
Trucker cap does know what's best for himself and his family, but his schooling shook his confidence.
Its time he remembered that he's the only one qualified to make his own decisions.
Square hat isn't qualified to run the lives of millions of strangers, but his schooling made him arrogant.
Its time he realised he doesn't know what's best for others, just like they don't know what's best for him.
Let's take back the confidence and humility that were taken from us while we were children.
Let's choose to trust ourselves, and each other.
Have a fantastic day
Hi Mattclarke, what a lovely article :). I also took a look at your past articles and saw that you're a very good writer. I've started to follow you as well. Keep up the good work!
Hear hear!
And thank you too bitbutter, I'm still a little starstruck that we're friends :)
Thanks Chhaylin. 37 now, and I'm keeping you all :)
The key, I think, is that we all learn to trust in our own personal intelligence and wisdom whilst also realising we know an infinitesimally small amount of the worlds’ collective knowledge.
Easier said than done.
Good blog Matt :)
Yay. A meatspace friend on steemit :)
Consider yourself followed, Pony xx