Gyroscopic Investing

New science on its corrosive, traumatizing effects.

http://nymag.com/news/features/high-school-2013-1

I think that what made me a good student later in life is that in high school I didn't give a shit about academics.  This wasn't the case before high school and it certainly wasn't the case after, but it was like when I walked through the doors in the ninth grade I intuitively sensed that I was walking into a state subsidized fun house and didn't want to waste any time on unnecessary distractions like studying or listening to the stupid ideas that came out of most teachers' mouths (with a few notable exceptions, of course).

I used to get a kick out of being told that I didn't have the right attitude.  I knew deep down that anyone who was telling me this knew they were wrong.  I had precisely the right attitude, to a greater extent than I could have possibly known at the time.  I know this now because I look back on the experience with no regrets of any kind and almost 100% positive memories.

In retrospect, most of the teachers, principals and other school officials from that time in my life remind me of Agent Smith from The Matrix films.  I felt that I owed it to them to resist their efforts at destroying my individuality.

MediumTex wrote: I was walking into a state subsidized fun house and didn't want to waste any time on unnecessary distractions like studying or listening to the stupid ideas that came out of most teachers' mouths (with a few notable exceptions, of course).
[]
I look back on the experience with no regrets of any kind and almost 100% positive memories.
[]
I felt that I owed it to them to resist their efforts at destroying my individuality.

I had a great time aged 13-15, school was barely contained anarchy, lots of messing about and taking the piss, occasionally punctuated by tedious lessons when we actually turned up.

At the end of it there was a easy segue into tedious factory and warehouse jobs with the same piss taking and messing about to get through the day.

A few years later I'd escaped back into education where I read a book called "Learning to Labour" by Paul Willis. He suggests (IIRC) that structurally school and work have very similar themes of command and control and that for a lot of kids the coping mechanism learnt as a response to school is then used at work.
Essentially a crap education system sets you up for a crap job, but there is always an element of individual push back.

When I eventually started a 'professional' job I was disappointed to experience the same grinding lack of control but without the same level of camaraderie and push back I 'd experienced in 'crap' jobs.

Fast forward 20 years; schools and work seem to be in competition with army camps. I hope we are seeing peak misanthropy in these institutions and look forward to the whole thing slowly collapsing under the weight of its own managerialistic hubris.