Education

Schools do a great job only if they help students realize that their voice is not the only voice, their interests are not the only interests, and their ideology is not the only ideology in the world. Only if students grow able to realize that there are billions of other realities besides their individual little realities, and billions of other worlds besides their individual little worlds, can schools claim that they not only taught, but truly educated their students.

educationIndeed, the major ability for anyone to acquire is the realization that this world we all share, and none of us owns it. Becoming able to forget about oneself, and considering the reality of others is the greatest human ambition that only a few manage to achieve.

1 Comment

  1. Tom Pautler

    Peter:: As a young person absorbing my elementary and secondary studies,
    I learned (as it was stressed by Franciscan nuns) that a selfish and self-
    centered life was un-Christian and could be counterproductive and unpleasant,
    full of tension.

    The role of that emphasis has remained with me and helped to define me, as
    luck would have it. That approach to life has given me numerous rewards.
    It has made my life very fulfilling, rewarding, and far easier. And it
    adds to the fulfillment that deep friendships can and should offer.

    Increasingly, I sense that today’s lifestyle lacks a focus on selflessness
    and mutual, emotional investment, deferring to a “What’s in it for me?”
    ethic. It makes human life more stressful and uncomfortable because of the
    tension it engenders. And perhaps it’s the reason why psychiatrists’ offices
    are as full as they are. +++

    Reply

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