We live in a culture that pretends to champion individuals "thinking for themselves." This is a supposed cultural value. We all were told to think for ourselves in school.
However, when one breaks free from the hive-mind and fashions an independent thought—even once—he is then shouted down. Usually the charge of "disinformation" rears up.
Perhaps "independent thinking" is not the touchstone for high culture that we were led to believe? Or is it the ersatz ("fake") highbrowism foisted upon us from a pretender class of academics that has been fogging our collective brains?
The reality is that our current culture is fake and unserious. It stands in for high culture at times, but in no way approaches it. By and large, the intelligentsia itself, while highly "educated," is not particularly bright.
Nor, has this particular status group amongst the schools and universities earned its place among the cultural elite.
They lie to us.
They tell us to think for ourselves and when we do, they smack us down.
It happened to me in college one time.
I got a D or something horrific on the paper and the "charitable" instructor allowed me to do a rewrite. "Strengthen your arguments," or pablum of some sort.
No way was I going to strengthen my argument about anything in order to get another D or maybe a C. I knew the game. Tell him what he wants.
I wrote a worse paper but now with the culture-aping propaganda baked into it. A-.
They don't want you to think for yourself. You're stupid.
Frankly, for most people, while not stupid, any semblance of an independent thought is a bad idea. See, most folks never even learn how to craft an independent thought.
For as much as the school system champions thinking for yourself, it strips away any infrastructure which lets such patterns of thought develop. It is only after we are out from under the thumb of the gatekeepers of fake high culture when we can thrive.
I still think school has a purpose. Problem is, parents typically don't know what that purpose is. Turn your kid over to this big building for 7 hours a day and he'll become smart?
The populace is getting dumber.
The more you listen to what I have to say, the more you will agree.
Work with us more closely and you'll understand even better.
As always,
Brian
