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> what were the most rewarding high-growth periods of your life? Every single one was an extremely life-threatening moment in which I very likely would (and sh

> what were the most rewarding high-growth periods of your life? Every single one was an extremely life-threatening moment in which I very likely would (and should) have died, but for my very rapid learning. The growth came in not being a corpse. I realize I am not the target audience of this article.

nonrandomstring 2y ago
"Target audience" or not, there's a ton of truth in what you say. Necessity and lack of control in a novel and frightening situation transforms our minds. It isn't sustainable, but it's not meant to be, because the goal is to get through it and get out, by becoming a different, better person. To pick some slightly less dramatic examples than combat or wilderness survival; A person who learned a new language in 14 days because they fell in love with someone who spoke almost no English, but simply had to be with them and make things work. Someone who became an expert bricklayer when stuck in a remote village where that was the only skill they could contribute. A fella named John Taylor Gatto [0,1] became the New York State Teacher of the Year (winning it more than once IIRC) before being fired for reckless unconventionality. He once drove a bus of school kids upstate into the wild, gave each $10 and a bottle of water, told them their assignment was to "find your way home", and drove off. Of course all the kids made it and recounted the "best ever learning experience of their lives". Today they'd sue for trauma... if they survived. The article I just read sadly describes more scaffolding, more mollycoddling, more "learning on rails", but "Now with added AI!" [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto [1] https://thesunmagazine.org/issues/186/a-few-lessons-they-wont-forget https://thesunmagazine.org/issues/186/a-few-lessons-they-won...
- SirensOfTitan 2y ago
  I really enjoyed Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education," it's a refreshing and entertaining rebuke of the authoritarian/scientific management consensus on schooling, which has not changed much over the past century and is not equipped to educate children for the modern era.
- yawpitch 2y ago
  > Necessity and lack of control in a novel and frightening situation So, life. > It isn't sustainable, but it's not meant to be, because the goal is to get through it and get out, by becoming a different, better person. So, again, life.
  - nonrandomstring 2y ago
    Well yeah, minus the goal being to get out (which will take care of itself... eventually) :)
    - yawpitch 2y ago
      Just because we all get to the goal doesn’t mean it’s not the goal… if the people are merely players then the last part of the part is to exit off stage.

nonrandomstring 2y ago

"Target audience" or not, there's a ton of truth in what you say. Necessity and lack of control in a novel and frightening situation transforms our minds. It isn't sustainable, but it's not meant to be, because the goal is to get through it and get out, by becoming a different, better person. To pick some slightly less dramatic examples than combat or wilderness survival; A person who learned a new language in 14 days because they fell in love with someone who spoke almost no English, but simply had to be with them and make things work. Someone who became an expert bricklayer when stuck in a remote village where that was the only skill they could contribute. A fella named John Taylor Gatto [0,1] became the New York State Teacher of the Year (winning it more than once IIRC) before being fired for reckless unconventionality. He once drove a bus of school kids upstate into the wild, gave each $10 and a bottle of water, told them their assignment was to "find your way home", and drove off. Of course all the kids made it and recounted the "best ever learning experience of their lives". Today they'd sue for trauma... if they survived. The article I just read sadly describes more scaffolding, more mollycoddling, more "learning on rails", but "Now with added AI!" [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Taylor_Gatto [1] https://thesunmagazine.org/issues/186/a-few-lessons-they-wont-forget https://thesunmagazine.org/issues/186/a-few-lessons-they-won...

SirensOfTitan 2y ago
I really enjoyed Gatto's "The Underground History of American Education," it's a refreshing and entertaining rebuke of the authoritarian/scientific management consensus on schooling, which has not changed much over the past century and is not equipped to educate children for the modern era.
yawpitch 2y ago
> Necessity and lack of control in a novel and frightening situation So, life. > It isn't sustainable, but it's not meant to be, because the goal is to get through it and get out, by becoming a different, better person. So, again, life.
- nonrandomstring 2y ago
  Well yeah, minus the goal being to get out (which will take care of itself... eventually) :)
  - yawpitch 2y ago
    Just because we all get to the goal doesn’t mean it’s not the goal… if the people are merely players then the last part of the part is to exit off stage.