MIS-education : The side effects of education

Orthopedic surgeon: Did you see that limping man? I think his ankle is fractured.

Physiotherapist: I think his ligament is ruptured.

Limping man: Bhai, koi baat nai hai.. meri chappal toot gayi hai! (Brother, nothing has happened.. my slippers have broken)

This incident reminds me of a side effect of education, that is, to interpret things in accordance with what you have studied. An economist would take the lack of money as the root of all evils; an M.A. in Philosophy would take money as the root of all evils. When the only tool you have is a hammer, all the problems look like nails. Education is such a hammer.

Do not take your education as a 'treat all solution'. Take it as a guide for certain situations in life. Mathematics can solve problems of physics, accounts, business, but not the problems of relationships. In a relationship, 1+1 can be 11 or even 0, while in maths it's always 2.

Another side effect of education is that it gives you a feeling of supremacy. If you are more educated than someone, you'd think of yourself better than him. May be you are excellent in your area of education, but a complete newbie or an amateur has fresh eyes which probably you wouldn't have. This makes that amateur better than you when encountered to situations needing a different angle. Your education traps you in a belief that you are better than others, and prevents you from learning more. And when you're not learning more, you're actually not just stagnant but your worth keeps falling. Time passes by, your age grows but net knowledge remains at the same level because of 'education trap'.

William Herschel was a musician and had no background in astronomy. He did not have a professional telescope, but he discovered several moons and Uranus planet.

Srinivasa Ramanujan never went to college. He turned out to be one of the greatest mathematicians in centuries.

Always try to stay a learner throughout your life. You may learn more from an amateur's question than from a superior person. Respect freshers and let them question you. Remember, there are no stupid questions, just stupid people. Do not be a stupid by thinking that your education has given you all that you need. Ten different perspectives of the same problem is more useful than a single view to ten different problems. Freshers are called fresh'ers' due to the reason that they have fresh eyes. Try to view things from their eyes.

The worst side effect of education according to me is that it makes you closed minded. Anything which you don't understand becomes false for you. Anything that you are unaware of, makes you skeptical.

Two ghosts were talking.

Ghost 1: I saw humans today! They are scary!
Ghost 2: Ah! I don't believe in humans.

And apart from being skeptical, it makes you  an incorrigible critic. A Freudian psychologist would defend the teachings of Freud even at the cost of criticizing Buddha's or Krishna's teachings. They won't give themselves a chance to try anyone who is not based on Sigmund Freud. This factor actually comes from deep down their insecurity. Throughout the major and important part of their education, they would have studied, followed and adulated Freud. Suddenly, when someone tries to shake their belief or show them a thing beyond what they know, a fear develops. Fear of breaking the "idol" of their "ideal". Hundreds of years ago, how they killed the man who said that the earth was round.

Do not take your education as a thumb rule to anything. Do not take it as something perfect. Do not let it be your destination. Let your education be a milestone in your journey and keep moving. MOVE ON. Do not sit on that milestone.

Education is a privilege, a great tool if used properly and if you save yourself from its side effects.

When Thomas Edison was a child, he was told by his school teacher that he was too stupid to learn anything.

Einstein was told by his teachers that he would never amount too much and was advised to drop out of high school.

Steven Spielberg applied to USC cinema school twice and was turned down both times. He is one of the most famous directors of the world.

And I don't think that I need to tell about the education of Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Abraham Lincoln, Dhirubhai Ambani, and so many.

Unfair to life

On every step taken up on the ladder, he forgets to celebrate. But on every fall, he doesn't forget to whine.

On every achievement, he forgets to be grateful to God. But on every failure, he doesn't forget to blame God.

Isn't it being unfair to life?

When he is in school, he's told to study all day to secure his future. "Son, you're in 10th, it's the base, study hard. So you wouldn't have to work too hard in +2."

"Son, you're in 11th, study hard, so that you wouldn't have to break your head in 12th."

"12th is very important. Study hard. You can have fun in college."

"College isn't for fun. You have to work hard to get a job."

"Work like an ass for 2 years, so that you secure your position in the job."

"Work harder, you got to marry and have kids. It takes money to run family."

And the life goes on... actually the life never started. Isn't it being unfair to life?

You use clay to make pots but it's the emptiness inside which you use to store water. You build house with bricks, but it's the space between where you live. You work for 10 hours but it's the remaining 14 hours for which you live, for which you earn. You earn for 6 days and it's for the 7th day for which you earn. You forget this fact and blame life for all the miseries. Isn't it being unfair to life?

Man waits for one big moment of happiness, one big house, one big car, one special person. He forgets that life is made of plenty of small moments of happiness and many special people whom you just need to recognize. I have seen so many such people. And when that big moment comes, they don't know how to celebrate! They would have completely forgotten how to rejoice life! Isn't it being unfair to life?

Maybe he's a man who has a big family to take care of and huge responsibilities on his shoulders. But what's the point of doing everything when his own shoulders are shivering with fatigue? When despite doing everything for so-called 'living', there's no life, isn't it being unfair to life?

And when you're unfair to life, how can you expect life to be fair to you?