“There is good news and there is bad news. The bad news : civilisation as we know it, is about to end. Now, the good news: civilisation, as we know it, is about to end.”
A young friend, wiser much beyond his physical age, and I were discussing modern education in India compared to what prevailed in earlier times and this little exchange came up as a stunning revelation.
Me: “Yes. Standards and values have touched rock bottom levels. Our graduates and diploma holders are unemployable and have to be retrained by employers. The result of rote learning and studying to pass exams.”
Friend: “The problem with our times is not that people can’t follow the grammar of virtuous living. That disappeared long ago. Today we don’t understand even the grammar of adultery, prostitution, corruption, bribery, theft, etc. We don’t know even how to do these in an intelligent way. That’s how low things have become ! And that is a very big problem …”
What do you think?
i love the quote from the swami!
thinking along the same lines myself.
wonder what was being bantered about during the dark ages?
no doubt they thought all progress of mankind had come to a bad end.
and yet…
but then…
here we are again!
so the quote is very fitting.
love your thought provoking posts rummy!
tammy j recently posted..to jim
My pleasure entirely Tammy. Since I can’t generate original thoughts, I enjoy reading and sharing them from others.
🙂 Looks like I have a few things to learn from the Swami.
On the first item, I am afraid that civilization might continue as we know it and equally afraid that I should enjoy its continuance.
Regarding your friend’s comment, I am quite in agreement. The pursuance of vice required much more skill in earlier eras when it was frowned upon. Today, even if you choose to pursue virtue, one should at least maintain the appearance of corruption in order to not lose credibility.
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We have to be skilled to be able to discern!
We don’t have that problem here in the U.S. People are still very skilled at vice and corruption.
Cheerful Monk recently posted..Needs a Bit More Work
They are skilled here too, but they are skilled at getting caught at it.
Many people seem to have abandoned intelligence in favour of being outrageous and attracting attention. The totally idiotic statements made by many politicians are a case in point. Likewise the populist rantings of a lot of journalists.
Yes, it is all about moments of attention and fame.
Rote learning and studying to pass standardized exams seem to be a problem here, too. It doesn’t encourage independent learning and thinking. As well, political correctness, taken to an extreme, may be dumbing down some educational systems as educators and professors become more reluctant to present challenging material for fear from complaints by offended students or parents. I’ve read several items in the last couple of weeks related to this, including one about Ian McEwan’s commencement speech at Dickinson College in Pennsylvania.
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That speech is among the best reading material that I have read recently. Thank you.
Yes, academic morons and politicians are indeed “a very big problem”.
It is now a global phenomenon.
The educational systems here and apparently in India are utter failures. We have the same issue kids are taught to pass a test that means nothing. My late uncle Chuck once told me a college degree is only an indication to a company that the individual is trainable and somewhat disciplined. That was in the late 60s so aparently the issue has been with us for quite some time.
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Here, it simply is a filtering process. The real training starts on the job.
Anubhuti indeed.
In other words, people don’t even know the right way to do the wrong things.
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Exactly!
1. Mathematicians are hired by companies before almost all other applicants, even though they have to be retrained by the company, because the have learned math: stringent and logical thinking patterns. Have management trainees perhaps learned the methods,and now have to learn the applications?
2. We can still bring back virtuous living. But not if we believe there is an intelligent way to practice adultery, prostitution, corruption, bribery, theft, etc.
3. Last night we went to a Disney movie, Other World, about changing our five minutes to twelve situation by training children to dream and look for other dreamers. It was a beautifully film, and a beautiful idea. obviously meant as an appeal to children, as was E.T. Unfortunately it was filled with half-baked ideas and no real answers. And the worst was, that I was awe struck by the incredible and terrible amount of violence. This is not the message I wish for children. Or for adults, for that matter.
I personally have great hope for the future. We are so far down, at the moment, there is no place left but up.
And I say three cheers to your logic for the optimism.
The conversation begins with modern education and ends with the grammar of adultery, prostitution, corruption, bribery, theft, etc.
Sign me, confused.
blessings ~ maxi
Maxi recently posted..15 Tips To Make Your Life Easier
I am sorry Maxi. The young friend’s syntax can be confusing but I hope that you got the thrust of his argument.
I think the one constant in history is the bewailing of lost standards.
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I agree and you have put it very well.
Hi Rummy,
Good quote. I utterly agree with Swami Beyondananda.
“Today we don’t understand even the grammar of adultery, prostitution, corruption, bribery, theft, etc. We don’t know even how to do these in an intelligent way. That’s how low things have become !”
Wisdom in a nutshell. Your young friend is quite right.
When things get this bad that’s when we know the world, as we know it, is about to end (how it will end is a different matter). We are living in interesting times, Rummy, very interesting indeed.
Cheers
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I have no doubts that we are living in very interesting times. At my age I can look at it detachedly and call the experience interesting but for younger people, it is painful particularly when they are unable to do anything about it.
What is virtuous living? If we must teach something, then teach KINDNESS and everything else falls into place. Was the world less brutal in earlier times? I doubt that very much. Besides our values must keep pace with changing technology, human knowledge, circumstance and aspirations else they are a burden, they tear us apart and can only be enforced by fear of repercussion. Besides we owe it even to those we condemn to at least try and understand their history and circumstance, what is driving them, why do they do that which they do? That is also a part of KINDNESS. And who amongst us has never done wrong and would not like a second chance. Where there is repentance there must be forgiveness. That is also KINDNESS.
Thank you. I am delighted to see you here Gautam. When I am next in Bengaluru, my friend who spends a lot of time there and I will come to meet you and discuss these metaphysical matters in detail!