Not to Pursue, but to Ensue - October 24, 2007

Godin listed the skills he felt couldn't be outsourced.

analysis insight surprise responsibility humor creativity guts respect charisma vision calm love

Did you learn any of those in a classroom? The only way I've found them is to surround yourself with people that already have them. To absorb them through iteration and imitation until they become dispositional. Books are only a mediocre substitute. The key though is to avoid the academic pressures that push you away from those skills and towards sycophantry, cautiousness, repetition, tradition, jealousy and shortsightedness. Because once you tattoo yourself with those any of these viewpoints, the scars never go away.

Posted by ryanholiday at 12:28 PM

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Comments

I just had to say you're my favorite writer. Don't stop.

Posted by: W at October 24, 2007 02:58 PM

I just had to say you're my favorite writer. Don't stop.

Posted by: W at October 24, 2007 02:59 PM

Good shit, man. Started reading a few posts ago, and the whole philosophy you have has gripped me. It's really interesting.

Keep writing.

Posted by: Soren at October 24, 2007 04:01 PM

These are also skills that cannot be faked.

Posted by: Derek Kreindler at October 24, 2007 04:53 PM

Do you think there are ANY merits to the classroom? I mean, other than the obvious social benefits of going to grade, middle and high school. Do you think school in general is totally pointless or simply that its importance is overstated?

Posted by: Daniel at October 24, 2007 05:12 PM

No, I love it. It could just be a lot better.

Posted by: Ryan Holiday at October 24, 2007 06:07 PM

bought and read The Dip twice now. Fantastic. What's your favorite Godin book?

Posted by: J at October 25, 2007 11:09 AM

Very true.
But I also have to say something in defense of the classrooms; at least where I live, it depends a lot on what you make of it. Whether you take the easiest path or a more challenging one, whether you use your creativity to deliver work above average, whether you try to get deep into the problem and thoroughly unterstand it or just consume given solutions, wether you respect the teacher because you know he has something you want, and yet have to work for, as knowledge or skills. It's all up to you, basically.

eva

Posted by: Eva at October 25, 2007 12:16 PM

Unfortunately, a lot of teachers suck. Standards to be admitted to teachers college are almost as low as the salaries that come with the job. Both should be rectified. Because you always will remember those handful of teachers who made a difference, but with that, you had to suffer through the incompetent, awkward and/or creeps who just wanted the summers off.

Posted by: Derek Kreindler at October 25, 2007 01:36 PM

My experience with teachers is unfortunate, because there are those who genuinely care, and are in their position to make the students around them that much better. But these teachers are a distinct minority.

The majority of the teachers I encountered in elementary, middle and high schools drank apathy for breakfast.

It's sad.

Posted by: Eric Ogunbase at October 25, 2007 07:51 PM