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There's a little too much focus on the distant future, which is very abstract for everyone to consider, especially children. Really, you can pursue anything yo

There's a little too much focus on the distant future, which is very abstract for everyone to consider, especially children. Really, you can pursue anything you want to, regardless of the time horizon that you have considered it in. Walk down the street and see something interesting over the road? then cross over and take a look. Play with the a keyboard in the shop and like the feel? buy a cheap one, get some lessons, pursue it until you no longer want to. You may drop it, you may become a rockstar. You don't need to know you want to be a rockstar though. Children are already curious, we spend a lot of time trying to get them to formalise their curiosity into concrete plans. Life doesn't need long term planning, to be successful, or be happy.

Levitz 3y ago
>There's a little too much focus on the distant future, which is very abstract for everyone to consider, especially children. Not only is it abstract, it's uncertain. When I was in school around the 90s and early 00s, programming was nowhere near as popular as it is now. What is the job market going to look like in some 20 years? We don't know, and teachers, as part of academia, have even less of a clue.
sgt101 3y ago
Also, very sadly, but not uncommonly, the child may not get to enjoy the fruits of the focus on the future, because they may die. In my life: - A girl in my class aged 11 was killed by a bus. - A boy I knew aged 17 killed himself and girlfriend by driving into a tree. - A competitor at work aged 27 had a bad cold, went to the doctor and was rushed to hospital due to suspected Liver cancer and died on the operating table that afternoon. - Good friend at aged 29 A got a brain disease and died over three years. - Good friend at aged 31 got leukemia, recovered, got it back a year later and had an allergic reaction to the chemo and died. The last three were all high flyers - two or three degrees, published etc. They had (like me) sacrificed a lot to get where they had and were just (at that time) beginning to reap some rewards. The last fella in particular had just bought a house, got a steady girl who was good for him and had had an "inflection" type promotion. All for nothing. Teach children to enjoy it while they can. Maybe that gives them 9 happy years, or maybe 90. (edited for formatting)

Levitz 3y ago

>There's a little too much focus on the distant future, which is very abstract for everyone to consider, especially children. Not only is it abstract, it's uncertain. When I was in school around the 90s and early 00s, programming was nowhere near as popular as it is now. What is the job market going to look like in some 20 years? We don't know, and teachers, as part of academia, have even less of a clue.

sgt101 3y ago

Also, very sadly, but not uncommonly, the child may not get to enjoy the fruits of the focus on the future, because they may die. In my life: - A girl in my class aged 11 was killed by a bus. - A boy I knew aged 17 killed himself and girlfriend by driving into a tree. - A competitor at work aged 27 had a bad cold, went to the doctor and was rushed to hospital due to suspected Liver cancer and died on the operating table that afternoon. - Good friend at aged 29 A got a brain disease and died over three years. - Good friend at aged 31 got leukemia, recovered, got it back a year later and had an allergic reaction to the chemo and died. The last three were all high flyers - two or three degrees, published etc. They had (like me) sacrificed a lot to get where they had and were just (at that time) beginning to reap some rewards. The last fella in particular had just bought a house, got a steady girl who was good for him and had had an "inflection" type promotion. All for nothing. Teach children to enjoy it while they can. Maybe that gives them 9 happy years, or maybe 90. (edited for formatting)