that innovation in the classroom will improve student achievement and success. It won't. Students need supportive, interested parents who value education. Schools need to emphasize basic thinking and expression skills above all else. Computers, Smart boards, and all the other gadgets have nothing to do with motivation, perseverance, and encouragement.
that social media, emailing, or any e-communication is just as good as the real thing (face-to-face). It isn't. We are now seeing measurable erosion in empathy, communication skills, and increases in cyber bullying, malevolent gossiping and stalking-like behaviors. I'll take it a step further: I think that the greed we see in ever-increasing amounts in individuals and corporations and governments is the result of this disconnection.
we are smarter than our predecessors. We aren't. We haven't learned a Goddamn thing more about love, respect, art, music, and the long list of the most important things in life.
health insurance companies are on our side. No they're not. They are companies; they exist to earn profit, and the best way to do that is to charge through the nose, and to deny services. Doesn't anyone get this? Yeah, sure, insurance companies are on our side.
our FaceBook friends are really friends. How many of them would come immediately to your aid if you were in trouble? Almost none of them. Well, you'd get a post on your page like this: sorry you're having trouble - doesn't that suck?
we have to be right all the time. Actually, this has been found to be toxic in relationships of the romantic kind. And I suspect it is toxic in most situations. Born of narcissism, demonstrating that one needs to be right is a very destructive behavior when chronically exhibited.
we are very different than the next person, the pet we care for, the bacteria we extinguish without blinking an eye. I have news for you: we are inextricably linked. Your dog has the same core emotions you have. The bacteria you hate? We are killing ourselves by not allowing natural immunities to develop. Different than the next person? I guess so - other folks have different skin hues, different daily struggles, and different languages and customs (you know, the stuff that makes us interesting.) That's about it.
we need lots of stuff to be happy. Actually, we need lots of stuff to be sufficiently distracted from what really matters. No, really. Lots of folks - mostly Americans - don't want to get down there into the nitty gritty of living. They, we, want to stay with the superficial. It won't matter much for now. Not until we are laid bare on our deathbeds, asking whether anybody loved us.
that social media, emailing, or any e-communication is just as good as the real thing (face-to-face). It isn't. We are now seeing measurable erosion in empathy, communication skills, and increases in cyber bullying, malevolent gossiping and stalking-like behaviors. I'll take it a step further: I think that the greed we see in ever-increasing amounts in individuals and corporations and governments is the result of this disconnection.
we are smarter than our predecessors. We aren't. We haven't learned a Goddamn thing more about love, respect, art, music, and the long list of the most important things in life.
health insurance companies are on our side. No they're not. They are companies; they exist to earn profit, and the best way to do that is to charge through the nose, and to deny services. Doesn't anyone get this? Yeah, sure, insurance companies are on our side.
our FaceBook friends are really friends. How many of them would come immediately to your aid if you were in trouble? Almost none of them. Well, you'd get a post on your page like this: sorry you're having trouble - doesn't that suck?
we have to be right all the time. Actually, this has been found to be toxic in relationships of the romantic kind. And I suspect it is toxic in most situations. Born of narcissism, demonstrating that one needs to be right is a very destructive behavior when chronically exhibited.
we are very different than the next person, the pet we care for, the bacteria we extinguish without blinking an eye. I have news for you: we are inextricably linked. Your dog has the same core emotions you have. The bacteria you hate? We are killing ourselves by not allowing natural immunities to develop. Different than the next person? I guess so - other folks have different skin hues, different daily struggles, and different languages and customs (you know, the stuff that makes us interesting.) That's about it.
we need lots of stuff to be happy. Actually, we need lots of stuff to be sufficiently distracted from what really matters. No, really. Lots of folks - mostly Americans - don't want to get down there into the nitty gritty of living. They, we, want to stay with the superficial. It won't matter much for now. Not until we are laid bare on our deathbeds, asking whether anybody loved us.
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