The Biggest Lie Told to Young Individuals
Cracking down on schools and dismantling the status quo
This article is addressed to the parents who believe formal education is the only path, students conflicted about their future in the system, and mentors interested in helping young individuals out.
Preface:
True education is simply the process of developing the ability to learn, apply, unlearn, relearn.
To be clear, education is not formal schooling — there is a fundamental distinction between the two: freedom. Nietzche proposed “Education is liberation” as by freeing the mind and soul, individuals can learn the knowledge they’re passionate about and excited to dive deep into. And it was Plato who so bluntly stated his anti-school thoughts — “Knowledge that is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind.” — Plato. (When humans are forced to learn about topics, our retention and deep understanding are minimal.)
My advice will only work for those willing to work their ass off and acknowledge the sacrifice of pursuing their dream. Earning a stable salary will most likely be off the table, but in return, you can live a life without regret and achieve an actual state of happiness.
Disclaimer: This article is designed for people pursuing career paths that don’t require formal education, unlike people set on becoming lawyers or doctors, which requires a university education.
Go to School and You Will be Successful
Get good marks, a good score on your standardized test, and participate in every co-curricular, and you can get into your dream school, allowing you to become successful. Yea, that’s bullsh*t.
It’s the age-old lie, parents (influenced by the government) have been preaching for over 100+ years now, and somehow we have yet to break from this deception. The truth is, success isn’t dependant on where you go to university, or even if you stay in high school, it is dependant on you and your work ethic. Just look at history’s most successful people, and observe how much school affected them. Did Mark Zuckerberg use linear algebra to build Facebook, or did Elon Musk use his killer clarinet skills to motivate his employees? I hope not.
But before I go into the hindrances formalized education has, let me explain some history.
Industrialism and the Pitfall of Formalized Education
With the introduction of assembly lines during the industrial revolution, society became observant of production possibilities and cheaper solutions to producing a good repeatably with similar quality. Eventually, after numerous production cycles and efforts to reduce costs, our crony economics and some child labour created a negative externality (spillover) into the formal education system. This spillover encouraged individuals like Horace Mann to promote a standardized and assembly-lined curriculum. Young and moldable individuals (analogous to plastic or molten metal) were forced into one-room “common schools” where children of all ages and classes were taught together. These classes lacked lesson plans and even teachers capable of guiding students. Eventually, a national curriculum was formed in the 20th century. From that point, the formal education system has seen little direct reform except for removing segregation and new courses being introduced.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” -Picasso.
So What’s The Problem?
Mental Problems
The problem lies in the assembly line approach. Individuals are conformed and taught to think inside the box. Our desire to think critically is overwhelmed by the desire to reach imaginary standards set out by grades. And the curriculum is never changing and never optimized or designed for the individual perceiving it. The system also rewards those capable of memorizing information and titillating the powerful ego that teachers carry on their sleeve.
Beyond that, as I said previously, this environment is relatively stagnated, with minimal progress towards properly educating students for the real world. With over 84% of graduating individuals claiming they don’t use their diplomas, the curriculum in place has no focus beyond basic logic and social skills.
Financial Problems
In 2019 alone, Fiji generated over $5 Billion in GDP. In that same year, Harvard university managed to grow its endowment an equivalent amount, from $36.4 Billion all the way to $41.9 billion. America’s most prestigious university also maintained its restrictive behaviour, only permitting 2000 additional students to study at their “world-class facility.” Schools will continue to limit student acceptance to promote exclusivity and retain their money-making cycle. Harvard can easily accommodate more gifted students yet declines individuals who simply scored lower on a simple and hardly subjective standardized test. Schools also encourage 17–18-year-olds to take on multi-thousand dollar student loans, with high-interest rates that have been shown to increase depression, anxiety, and even suicidal behaviour.
But why would the government do this?
Power. Greed. Control. Really anything that allows them to retain censorship as well as their grip over our individualism.
The government today is not much different than the catholic church during its reign. They conform individuals to a few beliefs, and those who stand out are outcasts by societal standards. However, within the last 30 years of technological advancement, the castaways have become significant thought leaders. Individuals like Naval Ravikant, Elon Musk, and Vitalik Buterin have created anti-government perspectives that promote individuals to think freely and without government influence. With the internet’s support, these perspectives have sparked the silent revolution of revolt against formalized and traditional education.
Finance-wise the government makes almost $50 Million from Harvard, so I think that’s self-explanatory. The government has also generated over $1.1 billion from student loans since 2001.
My Perspective as a Junior
I’m a 16-year-old serial entrepreneur and a current high school junior. I’ve been in the traditional schooling system for over 11 years now, and I’m really starting to lose my mind.
Schools limit creativity and the freedom to innovate by placing a barrier on your performance. The system conforms us to believe that 100% is the maximum we can reach. Doing extra work or applying your knowledge won’t benefit you, which obviously isn’t the case outside the formalized system. Schools also put in place values and policies that constrain our individual identity, altering the distinctions (typically interests or passions) that make us different.
Break from the chains
Disclaimer: The formal education system is for some, and I’m not advising you to stop trying or drop out. I think it smart to pursue what you’re interested in, but observe my advice and apply it if you feel trapped or wanting to escape.
This path, as I said, doesn’t come with challenges. So if you aren’t motivated to learn by yourself or are an entitled individual, stay in school.
But if you are like me and willing to pursue what you love regardless of your financial situation, then the rest of this article is for you.
Step 1.
Think about your formal education system and question it in every possible way. Questions can be — Does it prepare you for the real world? Why don’t schools offer this course?. Eventually, you will realize that the answers you receive will be meaningless or just senseless. When a system cannot be questioned to the hundredth degree, it cannot be trusted. (shoutout to Harrison — one of my mentors at TKS)
Step 2. (if you don’t know what you love)
Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and try new things. This can involve cooking, racing, or even building companies. Just figure out what makes your blood pump.
Step 3.
Once you figure out the system is broken, and it feels substantially better to do what you love, stop caring about marks. It’s a rigid barrier to overcome but become aware that a number doesn’t determine your worth.
Step 4.
Pursue what you love. And realize just how scarce time truly is. Don’t stop learning about what you love, and don’t let anyone ever judge you for that decision.
If this involves dropping out or failing, so be it. This is your life, and it should be lived to its absolute fullest.
“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’, for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.” — Steve Jobs
If you do drop out, check out these organizations:
I hope this helped you realized the problem with the formalized education system, and provided some guidance on how to escape. Everyone will live a different life, so if you do take my advice, use it as a framework and not the definite truth.
Jake
I’ve written some other cool stuff about entrepreneurship and even about gene editing. Check them out below!
If you want to connect with me, I’ve attached my LinkedIn, Twitter, Youtube, and Calendly. I post much more content about crypto, productivity, as well as entrepreneurship on those platforms. I’m also doing a 100-week challenge where I’m putting myself in the mindset of the craziest people on earth (on youtube).
https://twitter.com/jakeradler
If you want to invest in crypto but don’t know where to start, check out my startup, Ordy. It’s a personalized assistant that helps you trade crypto smarter!
