An education

Sometimes I think that students wind up spending a incredible amount of money for an education without ever asking themselves what an education actually means for them.

Is it a chance to get career training and watch their favorite sports teams play?

Is it to prepare them to be a lifelong learner?

Is it to discover what it means to be a well-rounded human being?

Is it to be able to make lots of money?

Is it to prepare them to be successful at something they love?

Is it to prepare them for further higher-level education?

Is it to be flexible in an ever-changing job market?

Is it about future intellectual, spiritual or personal growth?

Is it an investment that will pay unimaginable dividends?

Really, what is an education about?

Pedophiles

The NY Times today reported on the explosion on the Internet of images of sexual abuse of children. Research is beginning to suggest that the predilection that leads to this kind of abuse begins in the womb.

This made me wonder if the predilections of Donald Trump, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein and Bill Cosby also began in the womb. Perhaps there is a predilection spectrum and we all get locked in on our place on it while we are still in the womb.

That aside, it still seems to me that entertainment media present, as normal, sexual behaviors that are appealing scenarios and fantasies, which rarely have a “do no harm” component. We are not a culture that particularly admires self-discipline, integrity and the well being of those we impact.

A selfish bastard

The other day, I saw an elderly African-American man pushing a grocery cart packed with at least eight full black plastic bags of refuse to be recycled. I thought then that he was really a greater environmentalist than I was, practicing my easy curbside recycling. He undoubtedly had a much smaller carbon footprint that I ever had.

Then I thought of all the billions of humans whose homes were built from recycled materials and who live by scavenging dumps. They live on less per day than a Starbucks coffee and minimal electricity and water.

Government, science and NGO’s won’t save us, because we will largely ignore them, maybe making a few concessions to ease our consciences. We have become creatures of consumerism, comfort and convenience. We’ll over-package it, make it quick and accessible, make sure we get what we want as soon as we want it and convince ourselves that our wants are our needs.

The underdeveloped world wants what the developed world has, and the developed world wants to keep what it has and have more. Greta Thunberg can put us to shame, but what are we really willing to do? So far, I have to admit that I’m really for the most part a selfish bastard.

Assholes

Some questions about assholes:

Is the percentage of assholes the same in all societies?

What is the ratio of the number of male assholes to the number of female assholes?

Is there a genetic component to being an asshole?

Who is the founder of Assholes Anonymous?

Should the government fund a recovery program for assholes?

How many asshole incidents per month would qualify someone to be a “real asshole”?

Who should be the first inductee into the Assholes Hall of Fame?

Do assholes realize they are assholes?

Are assholes a danger to themselves and society?