Instruction v Epiphany
While writing my first draft of this piece, I misspelled ‘inherently’, and I also just misspelled the word ‘misspelled’ as I write. I continued to speak with conviction while simultaneously disregarding my lack of ability to type a cohesive sentence without relying on autocorrect. I simply don’t see the purpose of spending that extra millisecond to actually consider the words I’m typing in their entirety. I think of this tendency as rational and efficient; I’m sparing myself time which I’m convinced will directly result in increased productivity. Maybe this isn’t noteworthy, but in some regards, this has essentially epitomized my mentality as a student thus far. As a 16 year old I’ve experienced my fair share of cynicism, but my findings have culminated to one universal code; devote your being to the the bigger picture, and regard every ‘obligatory’ task as an obstacle to finesse your way through in efforts to achieve some ambiguous end goal that deep down inside we must know doesn’t actually exist. A never ending checklist, so to speak.
It’s sort of inevitable to contemplate the purpose of life alongside the purpose of education. The course of humanity substantiates that our species has been incessantly obsessed with trying to figure out our purpose for existing, and becoming better. We rely solely on our knowledge to try and answer the existential wonders that dominate our actions and navigate our lives. In most elementary school classrooms, odds are there will be a poster reading “Knowledge is Power” in front of an astronaut. Assuming the circumstances of my audience, I’d conclude that our physiological needs are satisfied and at this point, we’re mainly concerned with climbing our way up Maslow’s pyramid, to self-actualization; to understanding ourselves.
Learning is personal development, and personal development requires an overwhelming element of pure will. Every important piece of knowledge that has embedded itself into my daily thoughts has been the result of an epiphany, that wouldn’t have been revelational if I didn’t decide to make it meaningful to myself. As much as it may seem involuntary, individuals are able to determine what they extract from a lesson.
As far as schooling is concerned, It’s slightly morbid how there are subjects that students aren’t interested in. Students will step into their first day of class knowing that they have no desire to actually learn any of the material. The fact is that we’re offered endless expertise on our very own biology at our disposal yet decide not to utilize it because it doesn’t interest us enough. We are handed extensive knowledge on a silver platter and consciously disregard it. The standardization of the material is the culprit deterrent. The material doesn’t feel valuable enough to invest in once it’s expected to be meaningfully resonate with every other kid alive. The epidemic is the lack of responsibility to discover something beyond content easily found on crash course youtube videos. The dichotomy between the two Webster definitions of the word “education” is the most ironic I’ve ever seen as they’re perfect polar opposites in the context of public schooling; “systematic instruction” versus “enlightening experience.” Instead of poking an infinite amount of holes in this severely unsatisfying definition, it goes to show how broad the concept of education is. Education can occur everywhere, through everything, and its occurrence is dependant on the individual’s interpretations.
A year ago, I would have argued that I’ve learned the most about life through travel, and go on about how my life sitting in a classroom does not depict reality, or the ‘real world’. As I mature, I realize that I embody my surroundings, that what I’m doing in this exact moment is reality, and it’s up to me to recognize the most teachable aspects of my environment in order to learn. I have officially spent most of my life at school, so instead of hating it, I’m figuring out how to appreciate all that it’s showed me. You go to school to maximize yourself and learn, but you can never truly learn anything with life-benefiting substance unless you apply yourself.
Our success in institutionalized education lies in the methods in which we assure ourselves that we are channeling our energy toward the most beneficial thing we can to assist ourselves. We are constantly seeking to supplement our minds with whatever knowledge we believe will be the most beneficial to us. This explains why there are such wide gaps in the same building, with the same resources, each pupil essentially has the equal opportunity to thrive. Since education derives from everything, it is never possible to be holistically educated, and that’s the beauty of it. Becoming educated means to utilizing enthusiasm to discover. The purpose of education is to mold you into your best self, and to become comfortable and confident with the mindset that you have developed over time. The only way to develop a mindset is by having information on the world around you, which is found through learning and caring about the lessons in life that you are presented with.
