The "do whatever you want" approach - how realistic is it?

[chops_a_must]

Agree. Because they haven't been raised in an environment of expectation for anything greater than that from which they came. Let's not denigrate them for that.

Why not?

The unexamined life is not worth living.

 

[Trembling Hand]

There's an extraordinary exhibition from a few on this thread of an attitude of complete superiority over their fellow human beings. We are not all born with the same genes, and are not all raised with good modelling.

Oh nonsense. The world is quickly filling up with fat, lazy, depressed, stupid people who want to know what is the system going to do for them.

We desperately need more doers and dreamers.

 

[Calliope]

Oh nonsense. The world is quickly filling up with fat, lazy, depressed, stupid people who want to know what is the system going to do for them.

We desperately need more doers and dreamers.

I agree.

From A Mathematician's Apology by G.H.Hardy

perhaps five or even ten percent of men
can do something rather well.

It is a tiny minority who can do
something really well,

and the number of men who can do two
things well is negligible.

If a man has any genuine talent he should be ready to make almost any sacrifice in order to cultivate it to the full.

 

[CanOz]

I think this pretty much sums it up...even if you don't believe in the "think it and it will become reality" theory, he's spot on about conformity...

I like his voice...Puts me to sleep.

Have a listen to Earl Nightingale


CanOZ

 

[fiftyeight]

Trembling Hand, house in Hokkaido. NIIIIIIIIIIICE.

Japan is on the top of my list next time I go skiing

 

[RobinHood]

Any relationship, whether it be a partner, kids or dog need to be a part of your life. Complementary, not an accessory. And the same is true in reverse.

Totally. This is such an awesome and healthy way of thinking.

People have kids because they run out of things to do.

They get boring, and then make slightly more ugly versions of themselves for society to look after.

LOL

How do I do a love heart emoticon?

So many people I like in this thread just based of their posts!

I really hate it when people say that's what's supposed to happen, because that's *just what people are supposed to do*. It's hormonal. ****. Recently a friend of mine was told she should become an accountant by a family friend because "it'll let you work from home so you can take care of your kids". She's a very very driven and successful person. Just lol - that's like implicitly saying the purpose of her life is to have kids and take care of them!

Before university I used to have really big dreams. I took risky shots, they all failed. Then, I went down the traditional route.

There is a lot of good at uni, but there is also tons of really bad stuff. I have a huge problem with the educational system. It's something which really gets me angry. It's totally outmoded. I don't attend lectures or any tutorials at all. I think it also encourages crappy cookie cutter "thinking" as well. Anyway, that's a different topic.

I could rant on and on about what's bad about it but the main point I wanted to make is I think it encourages really straightforward boxed thinking and discourages learning. ROTE is often required. This is TOTALLY CRAP for ROUGH REAL world application. Often, the subjects are useless or easily learnt on the job. There are/may be some exceptions (some hard sciences, eng, med etc but even then there's still tons of ROTE!!!), but as a general blanket statement I think this is true. What we need are good healthy principles and creativity to be encouraged!

I used to really take initiative when it came to trying to get something I wanted. E.g. after school I went out and actually made an effort to go out and try to get interviews at firms. I did. I had no degree and crap VCE results. Although I was clueless at the time - I walked into private equity shops with sandals, jeans, my phone ringing cas my mum was calling. Now instead I spend an hour filling in an application for an IB telling them why their unique. Then doing formals interviews, 3 hours of psychometric and personality testing, then more interviews. Repeat for another place. What happened to me?????

I realize that uni has partially transformed me into a robot so that thinking out of the box has become weird and unnatural. Suddenly, I'm talking shop about "padding" resumes, internships and the thought of doing something unconventional doesn't even enter my mind.

 

[RobinHood]

 

[chops_a_must]

Before university I used to have really big dreams. I took risky shots, they all failed. Then, I went down the traditional route.

There is a lot of good at uni, but there is also tons of really bad stuff. I have a huge problem with the educational system. It's something which really gets me angry. It's totally outmoded. I don't attend lectures or any tutorials at all. I think it also encourages crappy cookie cutter "thinking" as well. Anyway, that's a different topic.

I could rant on and on about what's bad about it but the main point I wanted to make is I think it encourages really straightforward boxed thinking and discourages learning. ROTE is often required. This is TOTALLY CRAP for ROUGH REAL world application. Often, the subjects are useless or easily learnt on the job. There are/may be some exceptions (some hard sciences, eng, med etc but even then there's still tons of ROTE!!!), but as a general blanket statement I think this is true. What we need are good healthy principles and creativity to be encouraged!

Well.

With university being opened to the masses, it has become a victim to credentialism.

It was never designed for that. It is why arts degrees are under rated, because they do develop critical thinking skills. We aren't producing people with these. Or adequate literacy levels for that matter.

But any theoretical education should be matched with something practical and vice versa.

I do scratch my head sometimes. I can remember having an argument with a science graduate, where he thought gravity wasn't relative.