School vs. Education

I have many friends who all mention the cognitive dissonance they feel in schoolwork. Recognizing that the purpose of education is to learn but the focus of the educational system is to achieve. These are very difference goals. The educational system that exists today, I believe, exists entirely to sustain itself. Nothing is more mundane than attending lectures  by professors who clearly take no stock in how much their students are learning. It can also be disheartening to be told what subjects are important, rather than be free to choose for yourself what subjects you would like to learn. But, on the contrary, it is also important to recognize that operating within a set of rules and/or boundaries can be liberating: the rush of sports, or music, or theatre all take place within a context or set of rules.

How then, might a person who is interested in learning flourish in an environment where that is not the goal? Simply, make it your personal goal. Rather than depend entirely on the extrinsic motivation to achieve, deflect that to an internal place. Instead of focusing on grades, focus on how much you are enjoying the subject matter (operating under the assumption that with understanding comes enjoyment.)

The reason I am even blogging about this is because I feel to a certain extent that the focus on achievement in our culture leads to self consciousness, which in turn leads to a sufficient decrease in awesomeness.

Essentially the message is: Keep being awesome, do the things you like, and remove all the clutter from your life.


Josh