Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

I remember the movie :-) But think about this: the two signs that a child is developing their mind and becoming more sophisticated are the ability to lie, and the ability to tell a joke. (Both rest on the ability to hold two versions of reality in mind at the same time.)

We could check to see how much humor is taking place these days, and use it as a general measure of whether we`re getting dumber. I don`t think so. Humor is still alive and well. :-)

Ok, the former schoolteacher-turned-radio producer has to chime in here. The discussions in this forum are all supportive of the reasons I left teaching to join the fabulous world of entrepreneurship. Here are the bullet points stating why the education system is losing good teachers (like me, if I may say so myself):

• parents don`t discipline their children (bring back spankings!)
• the world does not teach that true knowledge originates with skepticism and critical thought (brink back the Enlightenment!)
• the government is dumbing us down (bring back the militia!)

Homeschooling is the way to go. I feel a startup in my future... 

"Too true.  I`ve forgotten the title, but the movie about the man using humor in the concentration camp to keep himself & his son going, comes to mind."

"Life is Beautiful" is the name of the movie.

I recently came to a realization that explains what appears to be a dumbing down of society. It isn`t what I`d thought, and only partly relates to the suggestions in this topic.

It comes down to a society-wide change in how we perceive the concept of truth. About 50 years ago, by decision or trend, we (western civilization) began to change the concept of truth. It stopped being an absolute, stopped being a reference to an objective reality, and instead, became an "interpretation."

I do understand that this is the end-run of the philosophy of existentialism, introduced about 300 years ago. It`s a part of the overall philosophy that went into forming America, and was influencial in forming Europe.

In a nutshell, although all of us can agree to what we see (hear, touch, smell) through our direct senses, that`s where it stops. ANYthing about *why* something is happening---the reasoning of cause and effect---has now become subject to interpretation and opinion. And all opinions are considered equally valid.

With no remaining standard of objective, absolute truth, NOTHING can be resolved in any sort of verbal exchange. That includes teaching, schooling, parental guidance, examples, discussion, or any other form of persuasive argument.