I find that when it comes to defining something, whether it’s a single word or a broad philosophy, it can be more effective to state what it’s not. This way, even if we won’t ever have a 100% understanding of what the thing is, at least we know what factors to stay away from.
- If you believe that education is over just because school is over, or in other words, if you choose to wait to be told something instead of going out and finding it yourself, you have no place here.
- I seek to always learn more about something. If you like to stay comfortable with what you already know, you will not like my thought process.
- I am very much a “got to see both sides of the story” type of person. If that makes you wince, go ahead and exit off of this site.
- I ask a lot of ‘dumb’ questions. They always seem obvious, yet nobody ever wants to state it, therefore it’s not as obvious as we think. If this annoys you, you will not like this content, or me for that matter.
- If you lack the maturity to exercise impartiality in a civil discussion, no matter how heavy the subject, leave this site and go do some introspection. Being older or credentialed in itself does not exempt you from this.
- If you can’t fathom the difference between acknowledging a fact and agreeing with it, how are you even functioning? I don’t want to hear about the glass being half empty/full, you must be able to acknowledge that half of the glass contains water.
- If you are unable to admit bias on an opinion, you can stay off of this site. We all have them, I’d rather you acknowledge them than act like all your thoughts are 100% objective.
- If you are a credentialed professional, and flex that anytime your logic is challenged, you will have a terrible time with this site and my presence in general. “I’m a *****” in itself is not a justification. You still have to explain yourself.
- Should be obvious by now, but if you’re not willing to read long-form texts (4+ paragraphs) on a subject that contradicts your beliefs, this is not your scene.
- I know in many cases they can be annoyingly futile, but if you scoff at abstract concepts (analyzing fictional stories, philosophical dilemmas, human nature, thought experiments, etc.), you will not enjoy this content. If you consider yourself political, you’re a hypocrite for this, politics is applied philosophy.
- Many people will get semantic as a way of avoiding having to explain themselves, but sometimes it is necessary. Just like I did at the beginning of this page, I like to define things before we start trying to figure them out. If that sounds exhausting to you, please leave.
- If you believe the current state of American Public Education (Prussian model) is ideal and nothing about it needs to be changed… I don’t trust you, nor should you trust me.
- Let me clarify, I’m not saying if you’re a student or educator that you necessarily agree with the system. You’re just doing what you have to do and making the best of a bad situation. I’m aiming towards those who will DEFEND the current system as if it’s perfect.
If you are a genuinely curious person, none of this should stand out to you. Otherwise this will come across as exceedingly anal and pompous. I’ll accept those labels, I admit I do have a stick up my butt about this. The problems won’t be solved as long as we keep acting scared to ask these questions. You may have noticed the common themes with these statements are close-mindedness and stagnancy.
My patience is at an end for the chronic complaining. I’m sick of us whining about the problem but freeze up once questioned on how to solve it. If you wish to wallow in your misery, keep that over there. We’re here to solve the problems, not sit around and be sad about having them.
If you found yourself relating to any of these, you now have 2 options:
- You can scrunch your face up, click off of this site, and go vent to your peers during y’all daily complaining session about how you read this punk kid who thinks he can cure the world of ignorance.
OR - You can accept that you don’t know everything, regardless of your experiences, and take your first step towards enlightenment by practicing intellectual humility.
For those who choose #2, I first want to commend you on being honest with yourself. It can be embarrassing to admit that you don’t know something, especially when you’re expected to. You are doing a service to your fellow humans by taking this step. As you consume the content on this site, I aim to help you solidify your knowledge and ensure that you’re actually on the right path instead of just pretending to be.
If you are affiliated with any universities or institutions, this may be a breath of fresh air from the perpetual heads in the sand. Let this be your safe haven from the close-mindedness and emotionally-driven arguments you have to deal with. Your thoughts will be heard here and you will receive a nuanced response as needed.
As I progress on this site, I will help us create a sound system for discerning information without relying on titles (focusing on what was said instead of who said it). I know it can’t be done for everything, but it surely can be for a lot of things.
Grant Abraham 