Flowering of the mind....

[china]

As most of our education is the acquisition of knowledge, it is making us more and more mechanical: our minds are functioning along narrow grooves, whether it be scientific, philosophic, religious, business or technological knowledge that we are acquiring. Our ways of life, both at home and outside it, and our specialising in a particular career, are making our minds more and more narrow, limited and incomplete. All this leads to a mechanistic way of life, a mental standardisation, and so gradually the State, even a democratic State, dictates what we should become. Most thoughtful people are naturally aware of this but unfortunately they seem to accept it and live with it. So this has become a danger to freedom.
Freedom is a very complex issue and to understand the complexity of it the flowering of the mind is necessary. Each one will naturally give a different definition of the flowering of man depending on his culture, on his so called education, experience, religious superstition - that is, on his conditioning. Here we are not dealing with opinion or prejudice, but rather with a non-verbal understanding of the implications and consequences of the flowering of the mind. This flowering is the total unfoldment and cultivation of our minds, our hearts and our physical well-being. That is, to live in complete harmony in which there is no opposition or contradiction between them. The flowering of the mind can take place only when there is clear perception, objective, non-personal, unburdened by any kind of imposition upon it. It is not what to think but how to think clearly. We have been for centuries, through propaganda and so on, encouraged in what to think. Most modern education is that and not the investigation of the whole movement of thought. The flowering implies freedom: like any plant it requires freedom to grow. JK

 

[hermanntrude]

you seem like you know what you are saying, china, but it's hard for me to know what you are saying. I got as far as the idea that our minds are closed because of the way we're educated. Probably true. A truly creative mind, though, will not submit to this process. Usually someone who is creative and open minded stays that way. I think it's hard to close someone's mind if they are intelligent enough to realise the benefit of open-ness

 

[Curiosity]

Hermann

The study of the mind reveals over history, many creative geniuses were kept from their destinations by restrictive societies - and some were considered mentally ill and incarcerated.

It is good we revere the creative person today - I cannot imagine our lives without the beauty and advancement as a species we have received from those gifted intellects.

 

[china]

hermanntrude :
I got as far as the idea that our minds are closed because of the way we're educated. Probably true.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We are fed 2nd hand knowledge to help us "fit" into the society and be a number. Todays schooling has nothing to do with the schools of Aristotle ,Plato....There a student was learning (not studying) by himself and discovering himself.

 

[hermanntrude]

please don't misunderstand me. I agree that restriction and studying rather than learning has lead to reduced productivity and creativity. I'm only saying that without the feedijng of knowledge to people, most of the human race wouldn't bother to learn anything. people are naturally pretty lazy in that respect.

 

[china]

Dear hermanntrude,please don't misunderstand me but isn't this happening now? ...-------------------------
I'm only saying that without the feedijng of knowledge to people, most of the human race wouldn't bother to learn anything. people are naturally pretty lazy in that respect.

 

[hermanntrude]

I find it hard to converse with you as your english isnt making a lot of sense.

isn't what happening now?

 

[china]

You have stated:...."most of the human race wouldn't bother to learn anything. people are naturally pretty lazy in that respect" to which I have replied.....isn't this what is happening now .

 

[humanbeing]

Human beings are naturally creative.

People are not naturally lazy when it comes to learning. What I mean is, it is how the learning is done is the issue more than anything.

Almost all people like to learn things (of their own choice, most importantly) and use their creativity on their free time. Just because somebody does not paint a picture or study the Principia on their free time does not mean they are are lazy with regards to using their creativity or learning new things. People are just creative relative to their vagaries. Some people apply their creativity to video games or to reading People magazine, while some others to rocket science or imagining 4th dimensional objects in their minds, et cetera. When people are not allowed room for any creativity in any form, they would probably lose their minds.

So no, that is not exactly what is happening right now. The issue is about how the learning and creativity is done more than anything. At least, that is what I would argue.

 

[hermanntrude]

You have stated:...."most of the human race wouldn't bother to learn anything. people are naturally pretty lazy in that respect" to which I have replied.....isn't this what is happening now .

sorry. I forgot the way you use the term "learn". What i meant by the above statement was that without some effort to apply knowledge to people's brains, particularly knowledge of other people's cultures and the fact that they live in a larger world than their own town, city, whatever, they would become very closed minded, many of them would learn a lot, but not enough of the right things to prevent widespread racism bigotry etc etc etc. I admit it's already widespread but i think without some knowledge applied to people, they surely wouldn't go out and read about it or find out for themselves.

 

[china]

Dear Hermanntrude,Just a question,....How important do you think is to know yourself totaly ,actualy without any comparing to anything or anyone ,and if you feel it is important ,why?

 

[EastSideScotian]

School today, serves the Purpose a Babysitter serves. Keep kids out of troubble, keep kids from getting thier own ideas about things, and to keep them from doing what they want. Its sad really, Being told what to learn, regardless of Interest. Having to get a job after school, getting better jobs based on your marks which reflect your interest in the subjects you were taught.

School whould be like Highschool, from grade 4 to 12. Childern get to select what classes they would like to take, from 1 to 4 they should be given the basic knowlage, reading writeing and basic maths, then be given chpices on what they found they were most interested in. Being Math or English, then from there slect more courses as the grades go by, like History, Geography, Advanced Maths, This would ensure they put their full attention into things. Of course, Basic Knowlage courses would be Mandatory, so people still would get a degree of Math or English teachings each year, but a decent amopunt, so that they can focus on things that they have interest in. This would also mean come the older grades, they could be taking much more advnaced courses. Of course their would still be Gym and so on, and that would also be mandatory, along with fittness courses evry 2 or 3 years, where they leanr nutritan and so on...

I think that would work well. Atleast Kid would not have a reason to complain...

 

[sanctus]

sorry. I forgot the way you use the term "learn". What i meant by the above statement was that without some effort to apply knowledge to people's brains, particularly knowledge of other people's cultures and the fact that they live in a larger world than their own town, city, whatever, they would become very closed minded, many of them would learn a lot, but not enough of the right things to prevent widespread racism bigotry etc etc etc. I admit it's already widespread but i think without some knowledge applied to people, they surely wouldn't go out and read about it or find out for themselves.

But any of what a person learns in a formal setting can still be undone by the home. That is really where prejudices and bigotry is taught and lived. You could take any student and put them in the most open-minded, liberal environment possible, and still be undone by the parents who won't let the kid play with black kids.

 

[sanctus]

School today, serves the Purpose a Babysitter serves. Keep kids out of troubble, keep kids from getting thier own ideas about things, and to keep them from doing what they want. Its sad really, Being told what to learn, regardless of Interest. ...

Hasn't it always, really? The goal of mass education is to indoctrinate our young into those things we as a whole have decided is important. The norm is what is encouraged. Any kid falling to the extreme gets lost in the shuffle. Artists, for example, like poets or painters, are often not encouraged to create or focus on their obvious talents. The school wants conformity, not intellectualism. i cannot recall where I read it or who said it, but to paraphrase a quote I heard before, "schools ain't about learnin'"

 

[sanctus]

As most of our education is the acquisition of knowledge,

A very good case could be presented suggesting that education combined with aquiring knowledge is actually an oxymoron

 

[The Project Man]

You are limited by your imagination or lack there of one. The system is a useful tool in the correct hands.

 

[sanctus]

You are limited by your imagination or lack there of one. The system is a useful tool in the correct hands.

And you would be referencing which post for this comment?