I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don’t believe the school of hard knocks is the smart way to pursue one’s life. I am saying that imagining a 4+ year degree at (an American) university is the way to enlightenment is an astoundingly small view of how to live in the world. Your observations about arrogance are spot on. I…
I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don’t believe the school of hard knocks is the smart way to pursue one’s life. I am saying that imagining a 4+ year degree at (an American) university is the way to enlightenment is an astoundingly small view of how to live in the world. Your observations about arrogance are spot on. I have actually had people debate me by saying “I went to Stanford” as the trump card in their argument. Here’s an idea.... I live a good chunk of my year in China, Wuhan to be exact. Spend a few grand, attend a Chinese university. You’ll learn more about the world than you’ve ever imagined.
I studied the politics of China while in college. I studied the politics of the USSR while I was in college. Both were fascinating, and prompted me to go to both China and the USSR. I likely would not have put either on my vacation bucket list had I not studied them in school first. In fact, had it not been for the opportunity presented to university students to study in the USSR, I likely never could have even gotten in to the country in the first place. Oppressive communist regimes don't really make hot tourist attractions, but the incredible history, culture, politics, and sociology of the countries that I learned about while in school led me to them and I was the richer for those experiences; experiences that help me today when looking at a lot of the problems in this country (most notably the demise of our free and independent press, lamented by both Taibbi and Greenwald here on substack).
I find it interesting that institutions of higher learning are so scorned by absolutists who look at the limitations of those institutions and argue them as absolute and therefore worthy of scorn, contempt and disparagement. Perfection being the enemy of good, I would never encourage my kids to avoid opportunities that, imperfections and shortcomings notwithstanding, provide an environment so fertile for intellectual rigor and growth. Opportunities, again, a key word in my position, are entirely what a person makes of them. And there are few places in the world offering more opportunities for everything from learning to make a bong out of an apple to pondering existentialism and that wondrous universe beneath one's thumbnail.
....and anutha thing....😁..... I view this sort of religious acceptance of the value of an elite university education in the same way that Chinese view the goofiness of the Western Judao-Christian traditions. For Chinese, the idea that one needs an intermediary in their communication with higher beings and the universe is ridiculous; they would much prefer to handle negotiations on their own. I feel the same way about the university. The idea I need an intermediary to show me the path to knowledge is ridiculous. The trick is knowing what one doesn’t know, which is a trick I’m reasonably good at. When I need to know, I find the source. My experience in university was largely a complete astonishment at the incredibly thin intellectual and ideological bandwidth of the average college professor. There are, of course, thousands of competent educators. There are also, of course, tens of thousands of hacks, trained by previous generations of hacks, with awareness and competence attenuating with each generation. I am not anti-education. I am anti current university models of education. I’ll exempt certain engineering, medical, and science curriculums, as that’s not my area. Regarding liberal arts, humanities, and learning how to think, I think the current university model is a fucking dumpster fire traveling on a derailing train wreck.
Sure, OK. Otoh, I’m a college dropout, I got curious about China and went. I’ve spent about 5 years (cumulative) in China. When I have been with grad students in “China Studies”, I’m continually dumbfounded by how little they know. That’s not to say that nobody knows nothing, but the university experience is limp ASAIC.
Having read through your various posts, I have to say, I'm a bit embarrassed that the Chinese may think all Americans might be so inarticulate and ignorant. I suspect it did our image abroad no great favor.
I’m not trying to convince anyone of anything. I don’t believe the school of hard knocks is the smart way to pursue one’s life. I am saying that imagining a 4+ year degree at (an American) university is the way to enlightenment is an astoundingly small view of how to live in the world. Your observations about arrogance are spot on. I have actually had people debate me by saying “I went to Stanford” as the trump card in their argument. Here’s an idea.... I live a good chunk of my year in China, Wuhan to be exact. Spend a few grand, attend a Chinese university. You’ll learn more about the world than you’ve ever imagined.
I studied the politics of China while in college. I studied the politics of the USSR while I was in college. Both were fascinating, and prompted me to go to both China and the USSR. I likely would not have put either on my vacation bucket list had I not studied them in school first. In fact, had it not been for the opportunity presented to university students to study in the USSR, I likely never could have even gotten in to the country in the first place. Oppressive communist regimes don't really make hot tourist attractions, but the incredible history, culture, politics, and sociology of the countries that I learned about while in school led me to them and I was the richer for those experiences; experiences that help me today when looking at a lot of the problems in this country (most notably the demise of our free and independent press, lamented by both Taibbi and Greenwald here on substack).
I find it interesting that institutions of higher learning are so scorned by absolutists who look at the limitations of those institutions and argue them as absolute and therefore worthy of scorn, contempt and disparagement. Perfection being the enemy of good, I would never encourage my kids to avoid opportunities that, imperfections and shortcomings notwithstanding, provide an environment so fertile for intellectual rigor and growth. Opportunities, again, a key word in my position, are entirely what a person makes of them. And there are few places in the world offering more opportunities for everything from learning to make a bong out of an apple to pondering existentialism and that wondrous universe beneath one's thumbnail.
....and anutha thing....😁..... I view this sort of religious acceptance of the value of an elite university education in the same way that Chinese view the goofiness of the Western Judao-Christian traditions. For Chinese, the idea that one needs an intermediary in their communication with higher beings and the universe is ridiculous; they would much prefer to handle negotiations on their own. I feel the same way about the university. The idea I need an intermediary to show me the path to knowledge is ridiculous. The trick is knowing what one doesn’t know, which is a trick I’m reasonably good at. When I need to know, I find the source. My experience in university was largely a complete astonishment at the incredibly thin intellectual and ideological bandwidth of the average college professor. There are, of course, thousands of competent educators. There are also, of course, tens of thousands of hacks, trained by previous generations of hacks, with awareness and competence attenuating with each generation. I am not anti-education. I am anti current university models of education. I’ll exempt certain engineering, medical, and science curriculums, as that’s not my area. Regarding liberal arts, humanities, and learning how to think, I think the current university model is a fucking dumpster fire traveling on a derailing train wreck.
I was in Wuhan during the lockdown quarantine. Now, THAT was educational. I know stuff that’s not in the syllabus.
Sure, OK. Otoh, I’m a college dropout, I got curious about China and went. I’ve spent about 5 years (cumulative) in China. When I have been with grad students in “China Studies”, I’m continually dumbfounded by how little they know. That’s not to say that nobody knows nothing, but the university experience is limp ASAIC.
Having read through your various posts, I have to say, I'm a bit embarrassed that the Chinese may think all Americans might be so inarticulate and ignorant. I suspect it did our image abroad no great favor.