A Change in Education

Give this passage some thought, and think about your expectations for your own education. Should education be uncomfortable? Is there value in being exposed to ideas you might find distasteful, even offensive? Education for those who desire to take it seriously should be uncomfortable. If education is comfortable then the brain is not being used enough and can still function under more intensity. I find that when I take a class were my brain is rarely stressed that I tend to remember less of what actually occurred. However, when the person is teaching a subject that is new, or offensive to me in some way, my attention is grabbed. I think this occurs because I desire to contradict them or join them in their proposed knowledge, and as a result focus in order to form a proper interpretation of their teaching.

There is an incredible value in being exposed to distasteful and even offensive ideas. Through this exposure, you could gain a better perspective on your own views compared to the views of others, and become more understanding of why they possess those views. In some cases, you could learn something new that changes your perspective on the idea. One such case could be talking to someone of a different religion. You might not agree with them when it comes to which religion is proper, but you develop your knowledge regarding their religion. Through this, you can better respect the beliefs of their religion, and address them properly. On the other hand, you might find their religion enlightening or more understandable than the one you follow, making you convert to their beliefs.

Without exposure to offensive ideas, you can become complacent in your own and quit the further development of them since there is nothing that challenges them. This exposure forces you to act and make changes to better your standing or change to a new one. If no changes occur in your thinking or beliefs, mental development will slow to a halt. What I mean by this is that if your brain sticks to its scheduled system of beliefs it never has outside influences act as a catalyst for change. Through frequent changes in your brain’s so-called schedule, it gains new comprehension skills and understandings of opinions.