Topics: Learning & Education Self-Directed Learning
Addiction is when you treat symptoms in a way that keeps you from solving the real problem. It keeps you externally dependent, while atrophying your ability to solve that problem. Modern education substitutes solving the real problem — how to develop autonomous, thinking individuals1 — with measuring them. The deadly feedback loop is this:
- You want to improve [problem]
- Intervenor applies (false) [solution] that merely ameliorates your perception of [problem]
- [problem] gets worse AND your ability to self-correct atrophies ⇒ GOTO 1
You want to learn how to learn, how to think, and how the world works. Instead, you figure out how to take tests, chase external incentives, and appear knowledgeable — educated. But Busy != productive. You spent so much time performing that you still can’t learn or think independently — you memorize the example questions and ace the next exam.
Modern Education teaches you how to ‘win’ but not how to play. But Being beats winning. Education should help you in a way that doesn’t sabotage your internal motivation and abilities, because Internal scorekeeping is a virtuous cycle. In other words, Education should create independent minds.