September 2011 – Dull Razor

The education problem

With all the political news and events lately, one of the things I keep hearing about is education – specifically, funding. I don’t know that I’ve weighed in on the issue before, but here are some of my thoughts on the matter, in no particular order.

If we assume the problem with education is that the end result of the system’s efforts – that is, whether or not people are educated – is less than ideal, then we must approach the problem from a certain direction. Not all people see it that way, but for the sake of my own sanity, that’s where I’ll be addressing it from.

If the issue is that children are not getting a proper education, then we must first seek to answer the question: what is a proper education? Most agree it includes some math, some history, some basic grammar and language skills. Many would add other knowledge subjects – geography, civics, or literature. Some would add practical skills like critical thinking or logic. Others would insist that subjects like art and music be added. Establishing a baseline expectation is, I think, nearly impossible when addressed in specifics, but becomes manageable when addressed as general goals. My proposed goals would break down into four basic groups:

Knowledge – Having a basic understanding of mathematics, history, geography, civics, language, literature, science, etc.
Reasoning – Critical thinking skills, deductive reasoning, logic.
Character – Knowing the difference between right and wrong, the value of honor and honesty.
Skills – Specific to the individual. Could encompass trade skills, art, music, writing, or general skills needed to hold a job.

This list does not seem to align very well with the results of public education, or even the stated goals – and that is not surprising, for I am no fan of public education. Education is a much bigger issue than just what is taught in the classroom, which I think gives us a fundamental problem when talking about public education as a concept – one that is deal-breaking, in my eyes, but we’ll return to that subject a bit later. Continue reading The education problem

What we have here is a failure to communicate

A couple of weeks ago at church, our preacher talked about the need for community in the church, speaking from Ephesians 4:1-6 and a few other passages. One of the points that he made and that has stuck with me for the last couple of weeks is the idea that many of our problems today stem from deeper failures than we’re willing to address in regards to our personal relationships – and one example in particular has been rolling around in my head.

What is counseling? A lot of people think that it’s getting advice, but professional counselors are specifically taught not to give advice – or at least not much of it. Counseling is primarily listening, responding to what you’re hearing, and showing concern and empathy for the problem. That’s the core of it. Seems simple enough, right? So why do we have tens of thousands of people across the country who can charge $100 per hour for this relatively simple act?

One of the things that makes a counselor unique is that the client feels able, even obligated, to be completely open and truthful with that person. Think about this: how many people do you feel you can be completely open and honest with in your life? Most people would probably say no one, or maybe one person. Maybe a spouse, or a best friend, or a sibling. Why do we have such trouble being honest and open with each other? Why do we need to hire a professional to find someone to talk to?

Shifting gears for a moment.

According to one major study, 69.7% of divorces are a result of communication problems. Whether you believe the figure or not, few would challenge the claim that it’s one of the most common causes. Objectively speaking, that should be surprising. Here are two people who’ve sworn vows to be as one til death do them part, and they can’t find ways to establish basic communication? How absurd does that sound?

And yet we all seem to have problems doing it ourselves, don’t we?

How many times have you put on a mask for someone, because you didn’t want to appear as if you didn’t fit in?

How many times have you said “I don’t know,” when what you really mean is “I’m afraid I’ll say something wrong and you’ll blow up at me?”

How many times have you felt like your world was coming apart, and answered “I’m fine” anyway?

Why do we have so much trouble being honest and open with each other?

On taste

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners, I wish someone told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase, they quit. Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know its normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you will finish one story. It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take awhile. It’s normal to take awhile. You’ve just gotta fight your way through.

— Ira Glass