We all have found ourselves wondering about life and feeling lost in the chaos of our feelings. Some people never pay attention to this, as they choose to skip this gap with materialism, creating worries, or gossiping. Some others, struggle to find a mental refuge in order to fight this gap. I think it is time to be serious about this, think about what has been causing this and wonder deeply about whether school kills philosophy in our human society.
There is also a third category of humans that are artful and choose to gain money and power from this natural gap, we, humans have faced from the start of this wondering.
As we look into our society, wherever we live, we will meet people that they seem to be lost. People who have never thought about a talent they may have, people who don’t know what to do with themselves when they are alone, people that look a little bit like you and me.
My question is, what has happened to us as kids to end up growing into this kind of adult?
Why do we have so many adults that follow rules, no matter what, and feel lost inside?
Apart from family life, which plays an important role, we need to narrow down the way the school serves knowledge to the kids.
I grew up in Greece and attended Greek schools, so my point of view comes from this perspective. Someone may say ” Who cares, Greece is a small country, some people don’t even know where to find it on the map!”
Well maybe it gets important, if you think that Greece is a country known for its history and “tradition” in philosophy. If you think about how we are raised what we what we hear about Ancient Greece and how cool WE are, since the day we are born.
I have reached the conclusion that we are victims of this heritage. And we suffer a lot as a community because of that.
These “cool kids” grow up and they don’t know what to do with themselves. And this is not only about Greece, this is global. Adults who get stressed, who can’t make decisions, who are afraid to change their minds and help another beings. While at the same time, they have the security that they are the best.
Even if they just follow the current tendencies of the herd.
I am definetly sure that school in Greece kills philosophy in kids’ heads and mess it all up.
To make the importance of philosophy in our everyday life clear, we need to realize how it was made and how it truly is.
What a philosophy class looks like
In philosophy lessons what we are taught to do is to learn by heart phrases of wisdom and the names of philosophers. We memorize dates of birth and dates of death. We learn to approach the philosopher as someone superior to the rest of us. Someone superior we can’s touch or resemble to, but from whom we come from. Funny, right?
A wise authority that no one can question or challenge. Did Plato say that? It’s wise! Why? Because he was great!
We learn to worship like Gods names of philosophers, even though most of the time we know almost nothing about them. This is a religious approach, even though we don’t understand it.
In the end what you get is things you normally don’t remember, perhaps a feeling of failure for not remembering it, but most of all our lack of the wonderful ability to philosophize and talk with each other.
This is how the system works for thousands of years. This is what Epicurus had challenged, and this why he was ridiculed by the rest of the philosophers and he never became that popular, as others.
How a philosophy class should be.
Real Philosophy is about walking in a philosopher’s shoes, questioning the words of wisdom, and challenging yourself to go deeper.
Philosophy was made to serve your mental needs and reach your personal conclusion that leads you to your inner tranquility.
Philosophy is useful.
It is not about memorizing and repeating. It is about helping kids and adults use data and question themselves so deeply that they will reach their personal top.
School is part of the system that is fed this way for centuries. I am not expecting the school to make this change.
But I dream that each one of us will challenge the authorities we were taught to admire and become the authority of ourselves using data, logic, and scientific facts.
Because we can do it! And because this is what we deserve.
We were all born philosophers until school kills philosophy in our hearts.
Until they told us that someone who can’t learn by heart things and repeat them, fails.
All kids are suspicious to question and wonder. What happens afterwards?
This is what we want to stimulate here and activate the curiosity of learning.
Teaching ourselves how to question everyone and believe our true self is the key that unlocks the game to another level.
And please, never say I am too old, or too poor to do anything. No one said I am too poor or too old to watch TV!
It is never too late to recognize the mistakes and build ourselves from the beginning. All we need to do is to support each other.
All we need is to determinde a day of beginning. You may have started yesterday, or you may say this is your day 1.
Wherever you are, I am telling you for sure, that this is the only journey that matters.
If you want free books, without subscriptions and stuff, visit our library and get whatever you want! The library now is humble but it will be forever growing.
Efi Asvesti,
Teacher and Writer @
MyGreekTeacher.com
