List,
Academics is structured like a hierarchy. First you learn 1,2,3's then
A,B,C's...first grade, second grade, college. I'm disagreeing with the
observation that public schools work on the principle of
least-common-denominator. I agree that EVERY institution (from family, to
community, to society...church, work, school, etc.) has a tendency to
average itself so that the mean level of performance becomes the norm...that
all who deviate from the mean are encouraged not to...and I wouldn't have
mentioned my objection except that this distinction has figured in
prominently in my own metaphysical system*; still, compared to "work" for
example which is definitely geared toward a group mentality and which is
*strongly* biased toward being average school (and public schools, too) are
more republican...by that I mean they favor independent thinking and
individual advancement--the knowledge is ordered for advancement and is
provided to everyone for individual mastery.
I also think that a bright person can hardly exist in a social system
without feeling the pressures to become average--and this is socialization.
Further, I think that all people are born with the ability to excell to the
top of the chart...and the only impediment is the degree to which they buy
into socialization. Which is almost biblical in that while the individual
"Moses" type might climb the mountain, the people who buy into sex and money
and power and the other social rewards for not excelling stay down at the
bottom of the mountain fighting over the golden calf and waiting for someone
else to tell them what to do. Alas, I fear that no one can excell for long
without being brought down to the central position by the
masses...cruicified if you will to the central or average position right at
point 0,0 on an X,Y, grid.
But, I don't think that it is the public school's fault if a "nasty" student
tends to fall into the mean (intentional pun). Oops, I've been enjoying
Nate's sense of humor again...I am worried if I will hurt his feelings with
this post. I really, really, really, think that he is a better person than
he gives himself credit for! Still, Nate, my advice is not to play the part
of a martyr or the group might choose to make you into a scapegoat.
Brett
*my metaphysics divides all things into 4 groups at the 4 points of a cross
(simplified)...matter (work) is at the opposite extreme of mind (school),
one distinction which I like to make is that matter is relative while mind
is hierarchical (the other two points, by the way, are body and spirit)
Ps. For some, a hierarchy represents freedom and relativity represents
death...while to others (maybe?) relativity is freedom--to me freedom to be
wrong, but anyway--and a hierarchy is death
In fact, I might go on a tangent here: Those soulless pagans who worship
chaos, those idolators who fancy money, sex and power...THEY are the ones
who bring individuals down to their level, destroy their individuality and
what individuality stands for--that is god-being--so that they have the
"freedom" to be wrong...to make up any "truth" they see fit and to use
violence to enforce their will on another...to have the freedom to screw and
cheat everyone without individual accountability...to deny the truth (even
1+1=2), to compete (read "fight"), to form social groups for protection and
forgiveness (condoning each other and proctecting their own backsides)...and
eventually, to split everything into "His" and "Hers" destroying each other
for ownership, supremecy, *wholeness* (their god-given birthright)...and
from the two producing a single child who might carry the ideal
forward....drop-out's, working-class, institutions.
BR
Returning,
rBERTS%n
Rabble Sonnet Retort
If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people?