The gigantic horrible lie about education

I like what you are saying here, Perry. However, i respectfully disagree. Overpopulation is a serious issue effecting economies all over the world, including our own, imo.

Perry,

Thanks for the reminder. I needed to hear that again especially after a crappy day today working for someone else (I am not playing to my deepest passions and strengths there, can you tell?).

Thanks for having the chutzpah to say it.

And, BTW, just opening that article you link to and seeing references to John Taylor Gatto did my heart good. I fully agree with his criticism of the factory model of schooling that we use overall in the West.

Thanks again,

- John

Hey Perry,

This is my favorite article of the month!

Education is never ending and the purposes of education from a sociology and an economical point of views are:

- Education as a community builder & marriage broker

- Education create jobs that later contributes to the economy

- Education is a belief created by a belief of “higher education means better jobs”

Thanks for the article Perry. As I am an economic student and internet marketer myself, this is really an interesting read.

Cheers
Desmond

Regarding your line: “The real resource is ingenuity and ingenuity comes from people.” I read an article earlier today titled “How Slums Can Save The Planet.” Of particular interest was this passage:

“The magic of squatter cities is that they are improved steadily and gradually by their residents. To a planner’s eye, these cities look chaotic. I trained as a biologist and to my eye, they look organic. Squatter cities are also unexpectedly green. They have maximum density—1m people per square mile in some areas of Mumbai—and have minimum energy and material use. People get around by foot, bicycle, rickshaw, or the universal shared taxi.”

I’ve heard the argument for over-population and the need to for population control. It doesn’t jive. I wish I could find it, but a while back I read about some research that said with current technology, Earth can support 20 billion. The true hold up in making that a reality is politics.

Thanks for the brain food, Perry.

Absolutely brilliant. I agree 100%. I made a point of graduating one year early from highschool. It seemed the best way to escape.

And it wasn’t because I got super high grades. I applied the 80/20 rule before I knew it. I made sure in my final two years to focus on my strongest subjects: English, drama, politics, religion. Phys-ed was easy and saved me from having to exercise outside of school hours.

I then just aimed to get passing grades. Usually around 60%. One course I passed by 51%. So I got all the “valuable” academic credits and avoided grade 13 completely.

And then I never I ever went back to school.

And, yes, $7 jobs was all that was available after investing all that time in education.

Fortunately, I had learned how to computer program in my spare time (GW Basic) and that afforded a nicer salary (with Visual Basic years later).

And, yes, I don’t I believe the overpopulation theory. Only thing we are overpopulated with is those elitist snobs…. even if they are only 1-5% of the population — that’s too many.

Hi Perry

I just read this post after reading your email “Boldness and Faith – even Romance! – in the Face of Disaster”

These must be the two most inspirational things i’ve had from you!

I’m super charged up and ready to go. If it wasn’t for my wife due to give birth next month I would be in Maui. I’ll make sure i get the digital copy though.

Thanks Perry and keep them coming.

Jimmy Crangle

Thanks Perry. You’ve got some great neighbours and i’m sure they say the same about you!

I had a friend whose son tested college level for science in his elementary years but the school put him in “special ed” (they don’t call it that any more) because he was so far behind in language arts. She was so frustrated with his weaknesses that she couldn’t understand how important it was to motivate and encourage his strengths. If he’s brilliant in science, don’t allow a traditional school system to hold him back! She could have sent him to science camps, bought him microscopes, labs and science kits. Unfortunately, she didn’t listen…and his self confidence and self worth were crushed before he ever got to junior high.

This is the ‘long answer’ to why we’ve chosen to homeschool our kids.

Hey Perry,

One of the best posts I’ve read from you recently – and you have written many good ones!

I completely agree – we need to engage in the act of being “treasuring instruments” to encourage others to find their special, unique gifts by polishing them up, helping them mine the gold, growing new facets of their abundant lives.

It is interesting that one of the core principles of direct marketing is “scarcity.” We live in an abundant world, where miracles happen every day – and we participate in making those miracles come to life.

Keep up the “inspiring work.”

– Dave

Great article – we see it in our children every day at school. It is about USP for everybody now but the “system” is designed to accommodate the masses and the easiest way to do this is to not encourage them to be different – would chaos not ensue?

Thanks again Perry,
Derek

Perry, such a great read. Real encouraging along with practical advice.

Overpopulation, ice caps melting, etc… all BAD news spreads like wild fire… what would people watch on t.v. … a story of good news like a teen choosing to keep her child and a family helping her? Or how overpopulation is an issue and “stupid people are breeding”????

DONT be stupid- realize you are ALL BEING MARKETED TO the next time you read or hear the news ask WHAT IS THE TRUTH?

BAD NEWS SELLS

The ice caps will be fine.
We will have enough food, and then some.
People when pushed to their limits will HELP one another, even at their own risk.
Everyone on this earth could live in TEXAS and if we all could get along, and eliminate facism, communism, and socialistic ideology that rewards couch-potatoism we could thrive- even in texas.

My two cents…

Dont be a mindless marketing sponge.

Peace
Scotty K.

This site has good news on a regular basis:
http://www.globalgoodnews.com/

Hi Perry,
My daughter complained about the lie when she was in senior high school and I could never agree, believing the general knowledge I picked up during my own school years back in the 14th century propelled me into a life of curiosity, travel and learning.
Reading your article has made me realise how right she was and now I feel so sad I didn’t understand her and help her to escape.
She’s now 24 and a lost soul who doesn’t fit into the usual grind most of us accept.
She’s a very talented girl who hasn’t found her niche. Her particular talents were pulverised by the school system and she is full of self doubt.
I’m going to take a copy of your article if you don’t mind, to send to her so it affirms her thoughts and gives her inspiration to follow her instincts.
Many thanks.

I’

EVERY SINGLE WORD of this article resonated with me and I am thankful that there are people like you in the online marketing community!

I share your belief that every person has their own special genius – the only problem is that most of them never realize it.

Keep on rockin’, Perry!!

Much respect,

Josip Barbaric

Thats why I home skooled my son. Now he attends The MET School (funded by Bill Gates) Where kids learn at what they are best at, no clones! He loves it and come to find out he loves sewing and has started designing clothes, (crazy) but it works. If all school where like this we would have a better place to live, with happy people. Funny but true the Communist have been doing this for years.

Right on…

Observation:

Even though you share the same mentors (Dan Kennedy, Bill Glazer, John Carlton, etc.) as other incredibly popular IMers (Frank Kern, Andy Jenkins, Mike Filsaime, etc.) I don’t see you promoting their programs as an affiliate.

I even mentioned this in a comment I left on Aaron Wall’s blog. His post was talking about hyped up launches. The comment is below:

“Honestly Aaron, I had a big issue, being stuck in between the Frank Kern’s and the Brian Clark’s, the WarriorForum’s and the Authority Blogger Forum, the SEOBook and the StomperNet. And that’s why the (CopyBlogger) 3rd Tribe is so appealing to me. Both camps have a lot of value and its tough to choose which one to be a part of so I’m grateful to Brian and Sonia for creating the 3rd Tribe so we don’t have to choose sides.

Funny enough, they all have the same mentors: Dan Kennedy, Bill Glazer, Ken McCarthy, and John Carlton. It’s kind of funny how their students ended up on two different sides of the IM world.

One guy who IS the real deal (and possibly an entire tribe unto himself) is Perry Marshall. I’ve been on his email list for 4 years and probably will be for life. Every one of his emails, every one, is an amazing read. I have most of them saved and starred in my Gmail account. What’s funny is that I don’t see him cross-promoting most of the stuff I see in the IM world. He isn’t promoting any of Kern, Amish Shah, StomperNet, Jeff Walker, etc stuff, even though he could (and make a killing).

I would see him as a part of Brian Clark’s tribe, but he’s conspicuously absent from there as well.”

SEO is kind of my thing, so I’m a member of Dan Thies and Leslie Rohde’s SEO training program, but I’ve always drawn inspiration from your work.

Raza

I heartily agree with you Perry. This is a very inspirational article, and very timely for the world of today. Thank you.

I remember at school, much of it just didn’t interest me (many subjects and the whole idea of school), so I didn’t really try and didn’t excel. And the teachers forever tried to convince you ‘what you do here will have an effect on the quality of the rest of your life’. I.E.: Blow it, and you’ve blown your entire future, end of story.

It’s sad many will believe that, quietly slip into the system of acceptable mediocrity not because they don’t want more but because they believe “this is all I’m capable of”. The lotto becomes their ‘only hope’ then. It’s awful.

Not me. Not then, not today, and not tomorrow.

I may be a long way off from where I want to be, but I’m doing it my way, and I get better and better at doing it my way all the time as I learn more and my attitude improves with every bit of feedback.

I’m learning to accept and learn from my failures and recover more quickly. It’s an evolutionary process.

Interestingly enough, many of the people who were ‘geniuses’ at school haven’t done a thing with their lives worth mentioning. So much for great expectations…

Very good article, Perry. My wife teaches High School & College science, and we have this talk rather frequently.

I’d go out on a limb and agree that an “objectivist” (Ayn Rand) approach to the population problem is key to resolving our social and environmental issues. Not using paper will not save trees; not eating beef will not save cows. The paper and beef industries plant more trees and raise more cows than all the envoronmentalists I know put together.

The planet has ways of fixing itself, and if you look at the latest trends, there is no overpopulation problem to speak of; the growth is slowing down and the problem is fixing itself.

I am not advocating irresponsible consumption. I am simply saying we should be true to what we truly are in the deepest Darwinian sense, not try to be something else; and just like Perry said, the solutions will present themselves.

Thanks / great read!

Hi Perry,

I love the way you put so much thought into your articles… however…. I think you’ve missed a point about ‘education’.

It’s not about getting an immediate high paying job out of high school. That’s short term thinking believed by Gen Y that they should be rewarded now! (For what?) There are valuable lessons to be learned working your way up in a job/career and advancing with experience and responsibilities (and ability to produce results).

Education sets you up for life. It gives you a perspective on the world. And it can teach you ‘how’ to learn. The self-discipline needed at school (to learn and to get on with others) is much the same as what is needed in life.

I agree that the education system is not always perfect – no matter where you live. But I don’t think degrading education itself is the right thing to do.

Yes you are right on about the “education system
Concerning your example of population numbers you have been programed by the same system you deride.
A handful of geniuses are not going to compensate for our ability and stupidity to destroy our natural resources.

Bravo, Perry!

I was one of the “smart kids” in school. Top scores on tests… Top grades… Top praise from teachers…

Then I got into the business world and you know how much good those top grades did me? Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Believe it or not, they actually put me at a disadvantage! I had learned that the way you get ahead is to do my assignments just as told, and get the reward of good grades. I had learned that the way you get ahead is to absorb what somebody else said, and spit it back when asked. I learned that the secret to success lay outside myself, in carefully following what somebody else told me.

I can’t tell you how much money I spent on IM products looking to find the “right answer” in what anyone and everyone in the IM business told me to do. It resulted only in me trying to spin dozens of plates when I should have been concentrating on finding just one where my passion was.

Our education system is designed to reward those who do the least to develop real-life business skills. It rewards those who look for the answers in external sources prescribed to them by curriculum boards in some bureaucracy.

Furthermore, it treats those who want to experiment and discover on their own as defective human beings. If prescribing curriculum doesn’t get through to hyperactive kids, they prescribe medication to squelch their curiosity until they sit passively enough to give the appearance of absorbing the prescribed curriculum.

No wonder so many IM teachers use as a selling point for their products phrases like, “Hey, I was diagnosed as ADHD in grade school. If I can succeed in business using the formula I developed, anyone can.”

The desire to act instead of ponder is actually a key to business success. Those who act might fail a few times, but eventually they’ll hit on something they can build on.

Meanwhile, the “smart kids” are busy trying to learn all the theory so they’ll be ready for someone to hand them a test paper for them to ace.

Only thing is, nobody ever comes around with that test paper. The only test you ever get in the business world comes when you act and put something out there.

You choose the time for your final exam. You lay out your answers without leaning on the crutch of somebody else’s question. Then you let your market grade them for you.

And you find that that “final exam” is not final after all. Your exam is ongoing. When your answer isn’t good enough, you use the feedback from your “graders” to come up with better answers.

You’re absolutely right, Perry. Our educational system is designed to turn out employees, and discourage entrepreneurs.

Hey Perry, amazingly encouraging article. You hit the nail on the head again. I love this article! So inspiring!

Hehe, Perry, you’re inspiring, funny, and clever, as always. Keep up the good work

Perry,

It’s very easy to talk about how screwed up the traditional education system is, I talk about it all the time.
The main problem facing entrepreneurs and system rejects like myself is realizing that although you have a passion/genius, it doesn’t always translate into a well paying career.

For most of us we will do what makes money and have our passion/genius as a hobby.

From one home educator to another, bravo!

I’m convinced that the reason our sons did excel when they hit an educational institution is BECAUSE they had the time in childhood to play deeply & progressively in their natural areas of excellence.

By the way, ‘teaching’ can knock that genius right out of them. It was only after I stopped trying to ‘teach’ my oldest son to write that he took off as a writer.

The stages of learning are the same at any age: grammar (learn the structure and basics, memorization), dialectic (digest, understand inter-relationships, play with what-if scenarios), and rhetoric (application, production). Or Biblically stated it’s knowledge, understanding, and wisdom. Same structure for how we learn as adults.

This is why you are in a different league than other marketers, Perry. Rousing post.

As a kid, I jumped through hoops to get my father’s approval. I went to a better college than he said I could get into (even though I would have rather just been a musician). When he refused to help me, like he had my brother, I paid for it myself. I wanted to show him that I could succeed on my own.

The problem was, he was too fond of his opinions to ever change them.

So, your post is a good one for parents. Many kids just need someone older to say “Hey, you’re really good at that – don’t stop.” That alone could give many people the head start they need, and save them from years of floundering around at jobs that don’t suit them.

Regarding population, there’s something profoundly sad about a declining population – though that is bound to occur naturally at certain intervals. When I first came to Japan two decades ago, the place was bubbling with enthusiasm for the now…and the future. Now, with the population in precipitous decline, you can sense the decay in the areas hardest hit. Houses sitting empty, shops closed up or turned into parking lots that are no longer so desperately needed. Immense resources and and unpayable debts being used to make the lives of the oldest people more comfortable – such as beautiful modern senior citizen centers and fully equipped hospitals in villages that will be ghost towns in 20 years.

The future belongs to the youth. If there are no youth, there is no future. Simple as that, really.

I have given up arguing with people who talk about the need for population control (often people who have more than 2 kids themselves). Like also are too fond of their opinions to change them.

Excellent stuff, Perry, as many others have said. The only problem is blaming the big, nebulous entity called “education” and acting as though the brilliant insight of home schooling (or skooling)is the answer as an alternative. (It isn’t, any more than home medicine or home dentistry is the answer.)

The real answer is personal responsibility, and not EXPECTING it from a public system that must “educate” so many millions of unique individuals. That system is ONLY a starting point, and can only attempt to do THAT. Most teachers – contrary to some narrow-minded public opinion – would love nothing better than to go with individual strengths and turn out geniuses of many different types. But with standardized testing and the demands of parents whose only “knowledge” is learned from radio talk shows, that can’t happen. Yes, chaos would ensue, and our society is not geared to support that.

We need to inspire our kids to go beyond, WHATEVER that means. Sorry, “general knowledge” is neither the culprit nor the problem to be overcome. It is the foundation to be built upon. That’s our job. And our responsibility OUGHT to be to make sure those parents who could only get those $7/hour Walmart jobs are able to do it for their kids, as well – otherwise you’re just creating another, but different, club of elitists you feel better about because you’re on the inside this time.

We should make a distinction with our current “education” (laughs) system.

Lets call it

“Schooling”

Education, is basically what you just said. Using whatever the maker gave you…. to the best use possible. In Business or otherwise.

Heh, I can foresee an article called

“Schooling Vs Education”

All schools end up doing is indoctrinate you to become unthinking (very debilitating) mass of worker bees.

Then again, the modern American education system came from Prussia. Who’s sole purpose was to train unquestioning workers. Those students who were at the top of the list, or who had special abilities were sent to a place called…

“Real University” – where they spent 2 years or so unlearning all the stuff…and being shown how to use their head…

Our capacity to think will solve our problems. In personal life, business and on the world stage. Failure to use education (see thinking) will be the end of us in time.

Good post Perry.

You are right on the button AGAIN Perry. Nope Im not grovelling I really believe it. Isnt it sad that this thing we still call school, for most of our kids, just doesnt do them justice. Infact as you imply, it often crushes them. But as a father with 2 kids in the system, and a mortgage to pay, there arent that many other solutions!

Preach on Brother! I’m glad that you have a more personal post every once in a while.

Don’t you wish they ask different questions in school? What kind of man/ woman do you want to become? How do you want to contribute to your city, country? What kind of lifestyle do you want to live? NOT what are you good at? What would you like to do? At 15-16yrs old, not the things that are important.

It’s amazing the things you learn failing and failing in business. Each lesson takes some time and money away. In school they are very intolerant of mistakes and focus on skills. What are the results? then you get grownups who are afraid to take risks, who are ‘perfectionists’ & who are focused on the wrong things.

Oh gawd Perry you make me think like no other. Your post makes me want to go outside and shout “I’ve been inspired”! My mouse and finger are getting a-lot closer to your order buttons.

Paul

Perry,

I have a good friend who takes the kids who come to her program with “this is the last stop, my friend” and you know what? She has a huge success rate with them, because she helps them find their uniqueness and helps them figure out how to use it to THRIVE in today’s world.

Most of the time when I read your articles, I can actually hear you speak the words – that and the real advice and support you offer keep me coming back for more…. THANKS!

Bingo… score one for free thinkers everywhere. Great post Perry!

Dude – You have a way with words… that was a nice piece of work…

Wooohoooo, the “red pill” indeed! …from all your geeky, straight-up-and-down, “Just think the Hawking of AdWords” guru-talk, one would ne’er of guessed at the ferocious anti-establishment hippie lurking within…v entertaining!

Hey, so I reckon I might be like, top 5% BlackHat spammer genius…after years of rejection from this ‘forum’ and that ‘forum’, your post has given me that little push, that inspiration I need to just say ‘sod them, sod them all, dammit! Screw the institutionalised elites – screw their over-rated notions of rules, “right” learning and “wrong” learning and haughty-taughty, bolshe notions of “legitimacy” …BlackHat spamming is my forte, that’s my thing, and I ain’t gonna let anyone hold me back no more (certainly not those flat-earther anti-population growth “climate change” types!) – thankyou Perry, I’m finally home!

I loved 3rd Rock from the Sun…but what would you expect from a scifi author?

Fortunately the elementary school I went to sent me to a class for gifted kids instead of trying to hold me back. (Although I got bored and dropped it after two years.)

My high school teachers insisted that ‘learning to learn’ was the priority. Then they informed us that we would be left out because we were between the ‘best jobs and houses’ and the computer revolution the next generation would be trained for. Most of us dug in, learned the technology as it came out and ended up more often on our feet than our faces.

As a manager I saw a lot of young people who hated using the computer as a work tool, compared to my generation who perceive it as a labor saving device. Perspective seems to be the dividing line between the 80 percent of workability and the 20 percent of indifference.

Yes Perry if all the elitist snobs who believe we are overpopulated offered to “move themselves out of the way” then I guess the problem would be solved wouldn’t it?

We have enough resources, it is just those planning for the masses forget to include the masses who can’t include themselves.

When my success is reached later this year, I will have a large amount of resources available to share.

I am a genius as I have the uniqueness that makes me me. Thanks for reminding me.

Your article has inspired me for greater things this day and by HIS strength I go forward to do these things now.

Kind regards,

Greg

Great Post!

The 80/20 Rule is a fact!

The 20% Work; Work Smart; Study; are always- always Learning and then they get to Play harder and achieve more than the 80%!

The 80% are always finding excuses’ why they are not in the 80% (not that 3rd Rock from the Sun isn’t important) and that generally leads to negativity!

Like minded people generally hang out and listen to people who think and feel like them!

Perry you Blew It and told everyone the Secret! That there is NO Secret!

Hey maybe there is a Reason we are all hanging out here…….

We are all programmed from birth and through school into adult life, despite that programme a few discovered the truth. Those few are the ones who realised the programme was faulty and with a few code modifications discovered a life rich with everything they wanted. What code are you going to change today?

Love this article Perry. We are in a battle literally for our lives against those that would disagree with the points you are making here.

Example:
We have the technology and tools RIGHT NOW to put all 6 BILLION people on our planet comfortably in the stat of Texas and sustain ourselves easily.

Proof:
http://www.overpopulationisamyth.com/

…and yet there are those that think mass sterilization is a GOOD idea!?

Resources are NOT limited (I’m writing a book about this titled “Earth’s unlimited resources”). Stated differently, there is no such thing as a “limited resource” UNLESS you have a poverty mentality.

Each life is an amazing gift with endless potential – thanks for reminding us all.

Spot on, Perry. I’m right there with you. My son is in Montessori school.

Now, how do I go about finding my inspiration, my passion?

Chuck

It took me many years to realize this, but the world is filled with infinite wealth. In that sense, I agree with you. On the other hand, it is not filled with infinite resources at any given time. Just because in theory resources can be better used, it does not follow that reckless abandon will save the human race.

Yes, we need more geniuses. Yes, we need more people who know how to think for themselves. Yes, we need entrepreneurial spirit to save us. That is not accomplished through ignoring your resources anymore than throwing money at random keywords finds you a winning campaign before you go bust.

You have to work with what you’ve got, and operate with a little sobriety.

That said, you and Glen Livingston have fished me out of business hell. Thank you.

Fantastic article Perry! May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you and your family.

Hey Perry,
You’ve sure found your ‘genius’ It’s like you are speaking directly to my brain. Every time I read something from you along the ‘rage against the machine’ type line, it peels another layer of cr*p off my brain. THANK YOU!

Once I turn my attention to adwords, you will be the go-to guy for me. Again, thank you )

Thanks, Perry. Not only was that a great article, but it is the first time EVER that the comments were ALL interesting and thought provoking. Talk about “knowing a tree by its fruit…”

Dr. George

Perry, Couple years ago I wrote about the “dumbing down” of our youth in the public school sector. Boy, did I get an ear full from the “left” leaning, union czars and some in the teaching community. After reading your article on the “Gigantic Horrible Lie in Education” I feel like bringing back my article. But I won’t, because your article has so many more truths that I will send it out as is to my social media accounts. Great article, keep up the good work.
Hal

Fantastic post Perry!

It is SO sad to see people who have been turned off of learning by the mind-numbing pablum they serve in the school systems – and by the many teachers and other adults who tell them what they can’t do.

I feel blessed that my own kids found what they wanted to do – and that I have too. But of course, it didn’t come from school. It came from reading and talking to each other and following our curiosity wherever it led us. And it came from believing in ourselves and never letting ANYONE make us believe we couldn’t succeed.

I’m tweeting this one, and sending it to stumble upon too… yours is a message that EVERYONE who isn’t thrilled about their lives needs to hear!

Thanks,
Marte

This article is exactly what I was discussing with some friends of mine just two hours before I read it. I am an artist, an innovator and an original thinker and all my life I have been knocked by those members of our society that conform to the norm in corporate America. In today’s cluttered and brutally competitive business environments there are more and more people attacking those of us who are different and don’t always follow the status quo. The best way out of most of our problems and challenging situations today (and there are more than enough to go around) is to think outside the boxes that we have so neatly and methodically built over the last 20 years. I am encouraged by your words because I am one who follows the path that you speak of. Even in the Bible, God always uses the ones who have the least abilities according to man’s opinion. I am old enough and wise enough now that my spirit and inner-being has gained the strength to where no man can destroy my attitude or heart. My strength and direction comes from God the Creator. I can do all things through God who strengthens me. I have no wisdom or power on my own without Him. Thank you for reminding me of these things and the encouragement your words give to others.

What a great article post to perk me up today! I believe every person has unique ability and that he just needs to find it.

The challenge is how would each one find that unique ability?

Thanks.

BRAVO! BRAVO! Standing on my feet clapping…

You are telling it like it is Perry.

I’ve long been sick and tired of the elitists trying to control my future and that’s one key reason my wife and I chose to home school our kids.

We constantly encourage them to be entrepreneurs and find their passions and geniuses. Do what you love and don’t spend your life a servant to someone else’s corporation.

Thank you and keep preaching it brother!

Tony

Enough air? According to analysis of air trapped for 2000 years there is already 20% less oxygen in the air.

Enough food? Yes there is, just no political and social will to distribute that food where it is needed. There are already many many people that know how to grow food for 12 billion people, yours truly included.

Education? Yes it sucks. I am 69. I had a great education once i got out of my one room school house and into high school and college. I taught some in college when i was about 45. I couldn’t believe how uneducated and lazy most of the kids were who in the last semester of their college computer science course. But i ended up giving several of them A’s because they rose to the challenge and did very well, probably for the first time in their educational life.

Too many people? Maybe not but there is too much pollution and too much consumption. We are leaving little for our descendents except trashy air, water and land. We care only for ourselves and think not of those who come after us.

This is a pretty damn profound post you have made Perry.

When one really thinks about all of the people in China, or Iran, or Haiti, or [insert country here] that possess unique talents and skills that would collectively help the world be a better place – but that have not been uncovered or tapped yet – well, its mind boggling to think of the potential of the human race.

Its like God gave us (i.e mankind) all the tools to either figure it out, or – to screw it up.

There is a great quote by Albert Einstein that says…”Education is that which remains when one has forgotten everything he learned in school”.

I think he was referring to the fact that real education starts when you start using your brain the way it was intended rather than be the cog in the wheel that so many succumb to.

This is my favorite of your posts Perry- absolutely great.

Perry!

I love it when you go on these rants!

Especially about this topic.

GREAT
Caleb

Hi Perry,

I’ve been reading your post and emails for the past 5-6 months and it seemsasthough you tell it like it is. I’ve been and entrepreneur all my life and have felt his way about our education system since i started to study learn grow and develop in these areas as an entrepreneur.

It is very unforntunate for some but fortunate for other’s about the way are educational system works. We all have to realize that it is a business just like the businesses we all are in and they need to continue to brainwash people, keep them dependent on them and ignorant so that they can continue to feed the goose that lays the golden egg. However it is our job as 80/20 individuals to get the message out about such scams because they definately are legal scams in my opinion. Perry you are so right on with your articles that I’m going to use your services in a present project that I’m
puttuing together and i know you will be a great asset, joint venture partner and team player to help ge my message out.

Thanks so much or your candid tell it like it is approach because this is what people need to hear most even if the don’t agree. I heard a lady say one time that time will either promote you or expose you. My question is hich end will you be on? Keep the articles coming.

Jeff T

Aaahh! That hit the spot. Thanks for the encouragement Perry.

Have fun in Maui.

At school I found that the 20% of the people who were prepared to put the work in achieved the results. The other 80% were trying to put in the minimum amount of work in to get the grade they wanted.

A Degree, Masters or Doctorate is valuable because it shows the person can finish what they start. In the fast changing world that we live in information is becoming obsolete faster than it can be taught.

200 years ago people were scared that global trade would grind to a halt because they were running out of trees that could furnish masts for sailing ships. Then somebody invented coal powered ships. Human ingenuity will find a way around bottlenecks.

These bottlenecks or should we call them “storms in a tea cup” only seem important at the time.

What is important is that we try to leave the world and it’s inhabitants in better shape than we found it.

Once again Perry great article, and wisdom. Loved this article a lot because of the wisdom in it if people see what you’re saying.

@Phillipmarlow, give me the problem of population, I’ll take them all on and turn the population into an asset for the country.

That’s people. People are the real power because they can come together, and stop wasting their sweet time looking to blame anyone or government.

Why wait for government when we the people are the government, the owners of our fate. It’s people’s small thinking, not seeing that they can come together, gain skills in a profitable market in global world.

And together, they work, as a community to supply to the demand.

Stuff government and solution out there. You can’t solve the problem with the same thinking that keeps people poor.

I came from a country like that and that kind of excuse is the very reason our country didn’t move forward, waiting for a pouncy government.

In UK, we came in 1970s, we have more businesses, more wealth than the english folks who are BORN in UK.

Guess what?

Instead of them asking us how we do it, they BLAME US for their lack of wealth and riches.

And government because “oh there’s too many immigrants..”

No, not too many. Just too damn smart and we invested thousands on right education. Most of us NEVER went to school or college cause we saw others done it and look where they at.

In our city alone, we nearly own the homes, shops, resturants and now…we moving into owning banks.

We didn’t wait for government. We ARE the government.

And I liked Perry’s article. He’s spot on. Loved it mate, pure loving it!

Great article. That should slaughter some sacred cows.

The problem is that kids at school are taught to dream and not to plan. They are not taught to think for themselves, and have this pie in the sky that a job working for somebody else at a pittance is the be all and end all of it all.

The parents are at fault because they are in the same rut.

They do not teach the kids to get out and do it, and not to be some else’s tame sheep.

I believe that 90% of all kids (and adults as well) lives and circumstances are the product of their parent’s thinking.And this I also believe that it is mainly of the mother. Not just their own.

I grew up poor, decided that a life like I had was not for me, started my own business many years ago and we are doing quite fine thank you.

I even tried studying further after school, and
discovered that an MBA would be just ” More Bad Advice”, and dropped all studies except front line stuff for my business.

I got out of the bucket of crabs.

That is also why we are home schooling our son. He sees us in our own business on a daily basis and knows that if he wants something, he must get out and do it, or it won’t get done for him.

And man, does he achieve things!

He does not dream, he plans and acts on his plans.

Maybe he will feed the “over population”, who knows?

Perry for Education Minister here in the UK! What do you say Mr Marshall?

inspiring!

How inspiring and true. There’s a ‘matrix’ of disinformation created mainly by the media and mediocre education . Not very different than brainwashing used by communists, only the tools are different.

Perry,
First, excellent article. We homeschool our children. Each day that goes by only helps solidify our decision.

Secondly, and still related: I am a health care professional making a low six figures a year. But, despite the money, I feel like I’m going to prison every day.

I have a good deal of marketing knowledge and have written against some of the best DM copywriters and companies around on a part-time basis in one of the most competitive industries around (supplements) but cannot, even with my wife’s support, ‘cut the cord’ from the wordaday life (I would take my marketing knowledge to ‘my’ industry where the marketing is abysmal – much less competition for me).

As painful as it is to admit, I am a product of the public school system and, even at age 33, am still fighting the years of indoctrination. Not to mention, I feel like a hypocrite telling my kids they need to go out and do it – when I can’t do it myself.

Sorry for the rambling, but your post struck a chord with me on a number of different levels. If anyone has any constructive advice it would be greatly appreciated.

I will always be grateful to my first grade teacher, who recognized that I was an advanced reader and sat me in the back of the room with a 4th-grade geography book while she subjected the rest of the kids to Dick and Jane–and I still have a soft spot for geography . I agree with much of what you say here, and both my children went to charter schools that encouraged independent thinking, creativity (including a solid commitment to the arts), and pro-social behavior.

I went to a very academic high school, followed by a very alternative college. The biggest and most useful lessons I got were in how to survive and thrive in strange cities.

Yet I continue to be a lifelong learner, and to value education whether it’s found in a book, a teleseminar, a live event, or a walk in the woods.

I agree with much (though not all) of your rant, and will Tweet the link.

–Shel Horowitz, co-author of Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet

The geniuses who discovered their uniqueness and excelled in life went to school, and maybe a quite average school. They simply never expected school to do it all, refused to be programmed and drove their own destiny. Schools aren’t perfect and never will be. Personal responsibility says don’t blame the schools nor society. Blaming at all is a cop out. Yet 80% will blame, while 20% will get off their duff and make it happen.

It is funny how Mike is right, the Russians have been doing it, to varying degrees of succes, for over a century. In the late 19th century, Kropotkin (and others) devised a school system that aimed for maximizing the potential of every child. Specialization is a major tenet of mutual aid. The early communists (not the fascist bureaucrats who ran the country later)did NOT envision a society of mindless farmers and day laborers. They knew that innovation and progress were REQUIRED for the revolution to succeed. The capitalists, God help us, “won” the cold war because the Soviet government actively suppressed creativity. Although, the capitalists only tolerated creativity so long as they could creatively exploit it for a profit.

Short summary, anyone in power is an @55hole, no matter what they call themselves. Any education system designed by the government and promoted by corporations is the last thing we should be putting our kids through.

I went to a private school and Im glad of it. I was taught fine arts, preforming arts, philosophy and athletics as well as “core” classes from k-12. That allowed me to choose colleges based on: do I play D1 soccer, take a scholarship for musical theatre/voice, or study architecture. Now Im dual majoring Arch and marketing, am a partner in an internet marketing firm, and do soccer and theatre just for fun. As just a poor hick from Florida, I couldnt be doing this if I went to public school.

I’m that guy – private college, fancy MBA, sucked into the corporate world by a big salary, only to labor with a bunch of mindless drones. fortunately, I jumped off right after 9/11, and I’m an entrepreneur with a nice, succesful little busness. However, I’m still not passionate about it – the old systems that were built into me are like an addiction that I can’t shake. I turn 44 on Saturday, and I’m praying for passion before 45.

Could not agree more. Everyone is unique, and everyone has its place. We just have to find and excel in it.

Now, now!
You really helped some people’s coming out here!

Haha! Great!

Everyone,

1. Please remember Perry’s comments about ingenuity and the population explosion when you’re discussing crop genetics. Breeding desired traits into crops will keep people fed and keep political borders secure. Global food shortages will bring unimaginable chaos. Companies like Monsanto are not the enemy. Quite the contrary.

2. Education in a changing world is the target of James Burke’s Knowledge Web (k-web.org). The group’s mission is to tap the human capital that has been historically hard to reach or shut out. New technologies can reach new pools of intellect.

3. OK Perry, I’m now convinced you’re not a huckster selling get-rich-quick dreams. Now if I could just get my sales to take off, I wouldn’t have to return to a corporate job.

Perry,
Great article.

Back in the early days of American history, students were expected to learn something substantial. Mr. Obama is now advocating what amounts to Universal College Education (the first year or two.) Effectively, this will be taxpayer financed REMEDIAL EDUCATION.

Universal Secondary Education has been a total debacle. Students now need 14 years of “education” to learn what previously took
12 years. Too many college graduates, including Ivy League grads, are unaware of many important aspects of our history (and often the sciences as well.)

Slightly worse are the (foolishly) accredited BS programs where you can get your BS Degree in 14 months going to class (on messing around online) one or two nights per week.) I’m not quite sure how someone can learn as much in 1/4 the time of a conventional program.)

Who is at fault? Most of the players… many, but not all of the: educators, parents, students.

A better approach would be to abolish the US
“Universal Education.” Much of the money is wasted on students who do NOT want to get an education, and passively or actively resist it.
Spending money on those who refuse to learn is NOT an “investment.”

Instead, I say, let’s make publicly funded education a PRIVILEGE, not a right. If the continuation of one’s education required meeting benchmarks, many who are unhappy because they are “forced” to go to secondary schools might become determined to justify continuation of their “RIGHT” to learn. In any event, those who totally goof off would not be eligible to have hard working people to pick up the tab on the BABYSITTERS AKA school teachers. BTW, the teachers would find it far easier to educate those who WANT to learn.

Too many inner city schools are war zones.
Removing the combative types from afflicted classrooms would allow those who want to advance to learn and achieve their dreams.

BTW, Malthus theory of the “Iron Law of Population” was demonstrably wrong. The world population is nearly now eight times (8 X)larger than it was when he made his awful predictions. Technology and innovation can solve the problems IF RESOURCES ARE NOT WASTED ON the wrong things. In reality, much of hunger in the world is as the direct result of governments and tribes destroying crops to starve out rivals.

John

President Obama says the beatings will continue until output improves…

http://news.yahoo.com/video/us-15749625/18271166

Here is a TED Talk I think you’ll enjoy

Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures (rather than undermines) creativity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Mr. Marshal;

As usual, your perspective is a treasure to behold. While you offer your courses to help others, you also admit that you don’t have “THE ONE AND ONLY WAY” to develop personal success. You encourage others to develop their own personal techniques and talents. I admire and appreciate your honesty. I have studied “internet marketers” for several years now and there are only a few that are even close to honest in their dealings with others. You are one of the ones I trust. There are times when I may see things from a different perspective; however, I value and consider your insight to be very useful in tempering my own insight. My publisher is preparing to release my first book by Easter to a specific market and the promotion will be about 90% opposite of conventional marketing techniques, yet it will totally overwhelm the market it is presented to.Your article itself is the same pattern that my publisher will be using. I am truly inspired to know that I am not alone in the way I think. I wish you great success in helping others discover their potential. We all need to be aware of just how unique each one of us really is. Thank you for your time.

Perry, I agree totally with your statement “When people are empowered to pursue their own uniqueness, almost all of them are a genius at something.” I personally would just get rid of the word “almost”. As an inspired entrepeneur and parent of a 6 and 10 year old, I know that it is insane to rely on the public school system to teach children how to embrace and grow in their uniqueness. That responsibility is up to the parents. Unfortunately, there are few parents who understand what it takes to allow and nurture a child to be all he or she can be. There is no user manual and it takes a certain innate feeling-knowing in oneself first to really help anyone else. When a child who has learned to embrace their uniqueness and is inspired to be all they can be as a unique, but not separate, grand expression of Life, then the world will change in a heartbeat. One fine day there will be no need for one to suffer through their uniqueness being squelched, for they will be supported and inspired to wear their uniqueness on their sleeve proudly and if they are in business, their marketing would be inspired, unique, effortless and natural.
We can see that consensus-reality systems and structures are starting to fall all around us. Life has had enough of the wasted energy and control mechanisms. It is time for humanity to grow up into the fact that we all are important unique manifestations of a universal energy that is hear to learn how energy works and to be all we can be. Life is a playground not a prison.

Great Post. Social security seems to control population very well – just look at i.e. Western Europe or Japan.

I have tried a lot of different ways and I am searching for my “thing” for many, many years now and I have not found it yet. I find it really hard to discover what to do next and if it is the right thing to do. I went down the wrong paths so many times before.

Perry, do you know of tools that could help to find my way? (I read all of your site.)

Don’t let a lack of academic qualifications limit your aspirations – who does nowadays?

Mankind can do anything – the false belief of every failed empire/super-power in man’s history.

Good stuff you’re sharing here. I do agree with your stance on education.
After all we should pursuit our unique desires, develop our unique gifts.
The worst thing in online marketing you can do is jump on it because there are “quick money” to be made. There are money to be made and some of us made them quick. but for the rest it’s all about hard work and application what you learn along the way.

Another one Perry,

Our educational system is patterned with the US. If I can remember history, its the Thomasites who promoted education in the country. That is one of the greatest contribution of the US.

Greatest?

Yes according to our books, but I do not know what is great about developing technology and all stuff where countries the US “educate” will soon buy their technology and destroy the natural resources and our humanity? Like for example, computer – people like me work at the PC 18 hours a day, cars – burning the oil that cools the inner earth, equipments – coming from mining that ravage the internal organs of the earth, and warheads that kill people created in the Image of the great Spirit and etc.

Anyway, the system is already there and better to light a candle that to curse the darkness.

My point here is something spiritual, the indigenous system of education is in a formation of a circle where the teacher forms part of the circle and most often times under a tree where the tree also forms part of the circle.

Now, the American system replaced it with a classroom (derived from cement obtained from the earth). The teacher is a God that nobody can argue, all front students are good listeners and those in the middle slow learners and those at the back are the soon-to-be kick outs.

The environment is closed and competition is horrible. First honors, second honors etc. The different type of learnings unique for each child is also disabled – the only ritual is listen, read, compete, etc.

In a circle type of system, all participates and all skills and abilities are harnessed plus the energy of the tree, the connection between students and the oxygen of the leaves promote a very conducive and enabling environment. (But they call this paganistic)

No wonder only few pass the standards and get all opportunities of the world while others who has the ability to pursue his/her own uniqueness and develop this world into a sustainable world even up to 20 billion are there in the slums, prisons and streets.

I remembered my lowest grade in 2nd year high is 69 for my Biology subject, 70 for my bookkeeping at 3rd year, and 70 for algebra. My highest is earth science at 84. I dreamed a 90-95 but never got any.

My God, now I’m a Biologist, I am directing an NGO where I mastered crafting work and financial plans, and tutor for youth for their subjects better than my teachers who seems like robots.

Anyway, my learning style is more on exploring and reading and not listening, thats why I’m slow learner and did not pass the American way of instruction. My way of learning is what the earth bountifully provide. Those are enough, enough even for 20 billion people.

Hi Renie, the blog manager emailed me about you, I am developing a business model for at-risk youth where I need mentoring and partners, I hope you and others can help me (maybe Perry also).

As a homeschool parent I can tell you that you are 100% on the mark about individual strengths.

I am constantly amazed at the brilliance of children when they are encouraged to shine.

Hey Perry great article! It’s the REALEST article I’ve read thus far. And when I say realest I mean you don’t sugar coat it, you call it how you see it. Keep doing that…

The thing that stands out the most to me is where you talked about people looking for that magic formula, the secret… When in all seriousness the secret is realizing the true answer lies within you. As soon as an individual realizes that, he/she can begin experiencing all the wonders and abundance that life has to offer.

Has anyone ever heard of a man named Napoleon Hill? Well if you haven’t you should read the book called “Grow Rich With Peace of Mind”. This book will help you gather a better understanding of how to achieve ALL that life has to offer you.

Other than that keep up with Perry Marshall because I believe he truly has your best interest in mind when it comes to Internet Marketing and what not, so stay tuned… I will be!

Peace

AWESOME!!! I couldn’t agree with you more…I don’t think I could…this is why I am so devoted, most of my life energy these days, goes toward doing what I can to make this a place where people are helped and encouraged to find the diamond-genius from the time they are interested, like around 2 years old.

I know this might seem self-promotional, but really my life is about being other-promotional, the ‘other’ I focus on are our children, all our children.

Imagine, and it sounds like you do, a world where everyone is living their diamond-genius and all the other wonderful aspects of their lives. That’s what I’m working for.

You might like to check out my work. Thanks for yours. It was so refreshing to read your blog. Thanks for writing it and thinking as you do.

Perry.

Read this Sunday night.

Monday morning we pulled our son out of public school.

He is awesomer than he thinks.

Five years ago we sent a happy, excited and eager 5 year old off to school.

I return we got a sad, anxious, angry little boy that hates school and would never fall asleep on a Sunday night before midnight he was so pent up about school.

NO MORE.

When we told him this morning what we were doing, he was happier than I have ever seen.

The change was immediate. We finally woke up, we listened to him and took away the “prison” he has been suffering in for half his life.

Thanks.

Another great post Perry.

For those this may have inspired to investigate home schooling your children, you might find the Robinson Family self-taught curriculum of interest.

Dr. Robinson based his curriculum on exactly the ideas that Perry wrote about here. We are all unique and have areas of special talent that we should be able to study deeply.

http://www.robinsoncurriculum.com/

To Skinner – Way to go!

You’re in for a lot of work and probably a lot of criticism from friends, but it’s worth it. You’re also in for for freedom – no more being tied to the school’s schedule.

And, your child will learn more and enjoy it.

I pulled both my kids out of school and taught them at home during the elementary years, and I’ve never regretted it. My kids are life-long “learners” now – but they study the things that interest them.

A “side bonus” that few talk about is that we quit being sick all the time. When the kids were in school they brought home a new “bug” every other week and that came to a halt.

When I did it, it was years ago, and I had a terrible time with getting books and trying to find out what a normal curriculum was. No one could tell me. I finally bought the books from Calvert Schools in Maryland and we used their curriculum as the base to get the basics for math, English, history, etc.

Wishing you and your child joy in this new adventure!

Great Article! I’ve followed you for some time now and was quite certain you had a good understanding of how the Elitist mentality dominates most of the world.

If we really are concerned with overpopulation perhaps we should question why people who live in countries with many more natural resources than us live in such poverty (Africa).

I’ve had this conversation with most of my family and the only conclusion I have come to is that we no longer accept responsibility for our own actions. We blindly run to government to protect us from all that offends or endangers us, never knowing the consequences that follow.

It is this fear that has brought upon our current situation. Had we not run to government after the bank failures in the early 20th century we would not have a private central bank today. I will let one of the world’s foremost central bankers highlight this point; “Permit me to issue and control the money of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.” Mayer Amschel Rothschild

So thank you Perry because you sell the opposite of Fear, you sell information that increases Knowledge and Knowledge is the antitheses of Fear.

Carpe Diem,
Richard

I’m going to repost this on my blog. This is what I’ve been contemplating for some time. I don’t even need to write it now, because you hit the nail right on the head. thanks man. RT’ing too…

Perry Great Article, So many misinformed people on this subject. We need not fear the “elitist snobs” and their power hungry egos and their misplace worship of self. Their corporate media propaganda machine or their pay off politicians. For in all their getting they do it out of self serving fear. Although a fearful person is capable of great harm to others (sadly) they rarely think clearly. The freest man is one who has freed his mind from fear. The truth will make you free. With the abundance of life as it reward. Wile we may not be able to stop the train from coming down the track a break neck speed. We don’t have to get on the train or the tracks. That’s something we all chose to do or not to. If you would like to understand more about the real agenda for the world go to: http://amazingdiscoveries.org/

Wow Perry are you inside my head or what?
We’ve been discussing the school system a lot at home.
What I write here will offend you if you are a teacher or a like minded thinker.
NOT ALL TEACHERS OK think this way but most that I meet do.They’ve been indoctrinated.
I’m in Toronto Canada with 2 kids in the government run,politically correct,bleeding heart,unionized school system and I hate this system so much that I think my kids would be better off just not going.
One of the top reasons I want my 6 figures back is to get my kids in to a private school of our choice.
I’m 54 years young with 2 younger kids in grade 5 and 7.
So yes I’m an older parent. I went to public school in the 60′s with a very good education and since my son started school in 2002 I’ve been stunned at how different everything is.
I see only indoctrination of politically correct views woven in to all my kids do and are taught.
I’m obviously a common sense old style conservative and don’t appologize for that.
Like you it makes me puke and pisses me off.

It turns living, breathing, unique human beings into commoditized, dehumanized hunks of flesh. 140 pounds of human capital. Where your highest aspiration is to get a few more right answers on the test than everyone else in the class. Where everyone knows how to do all the same things and compete with 100 other people for the same dumb job.

That paragragh nails down what I think big time.
The whole agenda of our governments and their entities is about one thing. MORE CONTROL OVER THE SHEEPLE.

Now here in Ontario they will add kids to the system at a younger age.They’ve added preschool for 3-4 year olds starting next year.
So start the indoctrination earlier now.

We’ll be fine at home since I have my kids reading your stuff,Kiyosaki and others that are like minded without a socialist agenda ,but to learn how to think for themselves.
Thanks for leading Perry.
I have a favour to ask.
Could I share this post in my personal blog ( giving you credit of course)and send it out to our school system head office which I do regularily.
No they don’t like me at the school or the head office.
Good that means I’m on track.

Thanks for leading Perry.

Bravo Perry. Hit the nail with the hammer head in one stroke again. The educational system in this country does everything it can to destroy the creative brain of each student. They want create little robots that are left-brain dominant that take orders and do the tasks with out resistance. The goal of all education should be to teach kids and parents how to integrate their right and left brains and sides of their body through ambidexterity training. Each person is a genius instantly if they start using the full power of their brains.
ralph

Thank you Perry,

I went through Pink-koolaid several times already and I have 4 pages of various things I was interested in and worked on for some time. But it is not enough – I seem to be stuck for months now.

I am also thinking about going back to school – which is probably a bad idea as I can learn really well on my own and I have a degree – but I am desperate as my income is close to zero and I need to find something that will work for me. This brings me to another question if I may:

What was the marketing seminar Jeremy went to that changed his mind about going into an MBA school? Do you have a record or article about it in Renaissance club? Or where I could find this info please?

I realize that if I go to school now that it will cost me min $150,000 for 2 years. ($50,000 in tuition and living expenses, and $50,000/year or more in possible lost income, not including the cost of student loans.) But it seems to be not enough to convince me not to go back to school even after all you wrote and I read as I seem to be coming back to this school idea again and again from time to time. I need to become unstuck somehow. I feel like such a beggar but if I do not ask I will not find the answers I seek.

In school they told me practice makes perfect, then they told me nobody’s perfect so then I stopped practicing.

-Steven Wright

Hi! Perry,
I just want to say that´s the best and most truthful blog I´ve ever readen.Great inspiration and motivation to awaken the genius we all have.

The Lord bless you!

Sincerely!
Orestes adan

Awesome stuff, Perry!

You commented, “Many give up, not knowing they were only 10 minutes from triumph.”

How true that is.

Reminds me of Thomas Edison’s words: Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

Thanks, Perry.

Good point, Perry!!
This issue is something my wife and I struggle with: wanting a different education for our still little kids.
I learnt more skills and knowledge for my career and finantial improvement in the last year than in the twenty-somenthing years of public education.

Concerning the “lack of resources”, as they say, we shouldn’t compete for them but CREATE. If we follow our bliss and we love what we do and do what we love, then there will be enough for all of us. living in a less competitive world (although some degree of competitiveness is always good )

Thanks for your insights Perry.

Greetings from Spain,
Carlos

Yeah…the present generation is doomed thanks to this mind numbing education “system” we are subjected to. Yet, from what I see around me there is clearly more rebellion, more youngsters willing to quit “safe” jobs, more youngsters looking to experiment with newer things and above all more youngsters who don’t give a darn about college, grades, marks and all that nonsense.

So yeah…though you are right about the education system and everything there still is hope for the future…

Personally, I have always liked the ancient Gurukula system of India where the students actually live in close proximity with the teacher (The Guru, who is a man that has attained immense respect of the society over a stretch of time rather than some guy with a bunch of degrees beside his name) and thus imbibe all the good qualities of the preceptor rather than just read from a drab book only to forget everything after the examination is done with.

I only hope we can lean towards that sort of life-education someday.

Thanks Perry, I really needed to read this right now.

Wow that’s a hard stuff right there

I agree with your article, Perry. I do believe that many educators are stuck in old ways of thinking that are not relevant for our current society. However, I don’t think the purpose of high school has ever been to provide someone with a trade. It provides basic skills and introduces many different areas so that someone can identify the area that is of most interest to them. Should it take 13 years to do that? Probably not.

I believe that one of my primary responsibilities as a parent is to help my children to find the area that they are passionate about. I also think that you could lay blame on colleges and universities who are supposed to be teaching a trade. Yet, in many fields a college degree in the US means very little.

Hey Perry,

Agree 100% with what you’re saying – except at the junction between not wanting your kids to grow in a machine but saying that there is no limit on Earth’s population…?

I agree we could easily feed many more people than we currently do – the question is do we want to? Do we want to have a world with wide open spaces and cities where we’re not camped on top of each other?

I don’t believe it’s an elitist view I believe it’s a view that values human life and something of the experiences that we have now – whilst embracing the good changes we enjoy from intelligent progress. Not suggesting one kid families for all – but I am saying that we don’t need to be pushing for 20 billion people!

Perry, when is fistfight part 5 coming?

thanks!

There are some brilliant, thought-provoking ideas here. As a child, I participated thirteen years in the much-vaunted New York school system. I cruised through it, and then had the eye-opening moment the first year in college when I realized I was hardly as smart as I thought I was. I spent that freshman year “catching up”, and I did it fast enough to excel, but there was always that nagging thought, “What the heck were they teaching me for the last 13 years?”

An update for the group here on my son that we pulled out of public school in February (see my earlier post).

He is happy and confident. His outlook on life is now one of eager anticipation. He respects us (Mom and Dad) for listening to him and actually doing it – that alone is worth the effort.

They can’t have him back, we won’t let them.

And as for the socializing question we always get, he has plenty of nice friend through his sports teams.

Thanks for posting this Perry. It made us act and we are a better family for it.

God Bless you.

Skinner

Perry can I take this article and put it on my personal blog?
And on our school systems blog?
That’s where I put my opinions.
Obviously giving you complete credit since I always do it this way.
That’s the link I give.
Check to make sure I did if you want.
I don’t ask this often but this speaks to me powerfully.
You’ve replied to me before and I read you often.
I am 54 years young with a 13 year old son and 10 year old daughter.
I know I started late but was too busy as an athlete in my 20′s and 30′s.
But the up side of having my children later is I have far more wisdom than in those earlier years.
I tell you that to say this…that I was stunned when interacting with the school system
which started in my sons kindergarten class which was 2001 I think.
Now my public school system in the 60′s here in the Toronto area was an amazing education system.
So when I saw what happened to our school system I’m thinking wtf happened to my school system?
Being very opinionated I spoke up and have ever since last year when I was BANNED FOR LIFE from the school my kids are at.
I’m not allowed on their property.
Why?
Not actually sure but I think their last straw was when I questioned my daughter’s volleyball coach about an issue.
I questioned many things because I saw what you write about here.
Some may think that in reading this that I went in hog wild threatening them.
Nothing like that at all.
Now I am 6ft 6 inches and muscular and I’m told intimidating looking.
I’m actually a nice guy but very passionate about life.
I”l take tomatoes for saying this ..but whatever.
Our school systems here in San Francisco lite (Toronto)are feminizing men.
Women are more in charge by far here than men.
Hey I love women.
I’m married to a beauty.
She agrees with me.
Look men and women are kind of different.
Why don’t we just ban testosterone Perry?
Extract it somehow when men are born.
We have the technology now I’m sure.
ie. When playing dodge ball we don’t hit above the belt.Huh?
When we played we got extra points for head shots.
Don’t play on the ice in the winter someone may fall and get hurt.
We played foot soccer on the ice with a tennis ball and constantly had bruises everywhere from falling.
The teachers even refed the games sometimes.
They took down the good old monkey bars Perry.
Remember those.
Someone might get hurt.
Don’t run the kids too much…it’s hot out.
Hey it’s Canada and we get hot here for what..4 months?
Hence really fat children.
You get my point.
Anyway I have worked hard and struggled mightily with coming online PROPERLY.
Reinventing myself since I’m dealing with ageism in the job market after 50.
One of my main reasons to become successful online in my new life is to get my kids the hell away from this idiot producing school system into a private christian school.
They’ll put me in the hole trying brother Marshall!

Buckminster Fuller said decades ago that we have the resources for everyone on the planet to be a BILLIONAIRE.
Ya with a B.
As you say Perry the school system totally limits our thinking
Our problem globally is we are inundated with scarcity mind set instead of abundance mind set.
With the internet here that could happen but with a huge huge shift in mind set of course.
Let’s start by not listening to the news journalists.
Stop supporting this stupidity.
If it gets bad enough my Mother in law will let me know and I’ll spread the word.
Thes are folks that manipulate all.
Complete morons.
The school systems are a part of the same culture.

When I took my kids out of school many years ago, my friends argued that it would be bad for them not to have other kids to play with.

I argued back. They saw other kids occasionally, but they also saw and socialized with people of all ages. They were able to sit down and hold a conversation with an 80 year old or a 30 year old, and they learned a lot by doing so.

They weren’t treated like puppies and told to go outside and play when we had company. Thus, my grown sons are highly intelligent men who have friends in every age group. And the interesting thing is, now we have more friends in their age groups because their friends enjoy visiting with us.

Oh – the other thing about taking them out of school to study at home – they learned more in fewer hours per day, leaving them time to help join me in gardening, tending to the horses, painting the living room, or picking up trash along side the road – whatever I was doing. I believe they learned from those activities as well.

Ever think about how much school time is spent on non-learning activities? And then how much time is spent getting to and from school? I’m a big advocate of home schooling, as long as you actually do it.

And that is why we homeschool.

By the way, I totally agree: overpopulation is not the problem the elitists make it out to be.

Ryan

Well, I skipped college, started my own business, am fully self employed, and I’m making iPhone apps….oh yeah I’m 19 years old

Loved the article!!! And to everyone who doesn’t think they can do it YOU CAN!!!!!!

While I would agree that the education system is a mess, I despair at the denial and blinkered framing on issues of over-population. Sure we could probably “support” a population of ten.. twenty.. thirty billion people, but at what cost? Humans are just one of many millions of other species who have just as much right to live on this planet as we do. Human over-population has already reduced the biodiversity and habitats of countless creatures and it is only going to get worse. Many religions exacerbate the problem by being completely human-focussed and actively discouraging contraception – our unique invention. Perry, you are but one magnificent instance of the 7 billion humans on this planet. However, It’s not so much the numbers that count but the impact those numbers have, and right now humans are a plague on the richness and biodiversity of this planet.