California Judge declares High School diplomas meaningless

[Arrian]

Brainwashing is a term that is used too much. I could say that you seem brainwashed to me, 'cause of your crazy ideas, but frankly that would be a misuse of the term.

And again, I didn't just say that smart people are less likely to be brainwashed. I said that stupid, uneducated people are more likely to be vulnerable... and the key is the education bit. You know, like, the original topic of the thread.

Of course, there are those who argue that educate = brainwashing (generally speaking, this is simply b/c they don't like what's being taught), but that's poppycock. Ideally (not always the case, clearly), education provides both factual knowledge and the basics of critical thinking (which is why I personally am so vehemently opposed to the religionista agenda vis-a-vis education). Critical thinking skills are, IMO, a good defense against "brainwashing."

-Arrian

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Arrian
Brainwashing is a term that is used too much. I could say that you seem brainwashed to me, 'cause of your crazy ideas, but frankly that would be a misuse of the term.

Well who brainwashed me? Do you think I was kidnapped by a bunch of commies, like that hippie chick from the sixties?

And again, I didn't just say that smart people are less likely to be brainwashed. I said that stupid, uneducated people are more likely to be vulnerable... and the key is the education bit. You know, like, the original topic of the thread.

Well I disagree with you. If you never get educated you don't have to worry about being brainwashed. Education is brainwashing. It's just that some of us can resist being brainwashed and still recieve an education.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Arrian
Of course, there are those who argue that educate = brainwashing (generally speaking, this is simply b/c they don't like what's being taught), but that's poppycock. Ideally (not always the case, clearly), education provides both factual knowledge and the basics of critical thinking (which is why I personally am so vehemently opposed to the religionista agenda vis-a-vis education). Critical thinking skills are, IMO, a good defense against "brainwashing."

Critical thinking doesn't teach you to question what you are being taught. You are either born to question what people are teaching you, or you aren't you can't teach someone to question what their authority figure is teaching them. Critical Thinking, the way it is taught, just reinforces the agenda of the school system.

[Arrian]

Critical thinking is exactly that! To question things! OMG.

Take a good history teacher. They will teach you to not trust your source material. Get multiple sources. Examine each, and ask questions like "who is the author, what was their agenda" and stuff like that.

Now, I admit that the above is unlikely to be properly fleshed out in highschool. A really good teacher might go that far, but far more it's just about memorizing dates and regurgitating on command. That doesn't mean that education is worthless. It means there is room for improvement.

-Arrian

[Dinner]

While this thread has devolved into garbage.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Arrian
Take a good history teacher. They will teach you to not trust your source material. Get multiple sources. Examine each, and ask questions like "who is the author, what was their agenda" and stuff like that.

They only teach you to question what you already don't believe, not what they are teaching you.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kidicious
They only teach you to question what you already don't believe, not what they are teaching you.

So you know all good history teachers?

I had a history teacher in college who invited people to question his ideas and what was being taught. In fact I had a few like that.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
So you know all good history teachers?

It's not really the teachers fault, and some try to teach good critical thinking skills. It's the students. Most of them just aren't good critical thinkers. The students don't fight the brain washing. The school doesn't have to put out any real effort. The kids just want to know what to think, just like they just want to know what is on the test. They don't really want to think for themselves. Even if the school tried to not brainwash students they couldn't successfully, because it's a natural thing.

[Jaguar]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara

Originally posted by Arrian
Stupid, uneducated people are the easiest to brainwash, you silly man.

There are very few stupid people in certain types of cults, actually. In fact, many of them are extremely smart. Brainwashing and manipulation play more on emotions than intellect.

Interesting point.