What exactly are we educating our kids for, anyway?
Are we getting it all wrong? π
Are we getting it all wrong? π
We all want our kids to be independent, happy, and productive members of their communities.
The details might look a little different for everyone, but there are simple truths we can all agree on.
The details might look a little different for everyone, but there are simple truths we can all agree on.
Whether your kid wants to be an astronaut, a software developer, or a master carpenter, they need to know the following:
β’ Where they come from
β’ What information can be ignored
β’ How to make money
β’ How to plan a future
β’ Where they come from
β’ What information can be ignored
β’ How to make money
β’ How to plan a future
While this list isnβt exhaustive for every kid, it gives them a place to start that opens other educational roads.
These are the four foundations every kids' education should be built around:
These are the four foundations every kids' education should be built around:
1. Where you come from (history, philosophy)
βThose who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.β
Kids need to understand the context of their experiences.
Like a GPS, we must know our present location to plan a route forward.
βThose who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it.β
Kids need to understand the context of their experiences.
Like a GPS, we must know our present location to plan a route forward.
Help kids see that their world didnβt fall from the sky by pure accident but was yanked into existence by heroic people who carved reason and abundance out of the wilderness of the planet.
Kids need the wisdom of the past to guide their future, even if just the broad strokes.
Kids need the wisdom of the past to guide their future, even if just the broad strokes.
2. Learning what to ignore (logic, mental models)
βThe problem with internet quotes is that you cannot always depend on their accuracy.β β Abraham Lincoln, 1864
We are no longer starved of informationβwe are drowning in it.
Kids need tools to sift through all the noise.
βThe problem with internet quotes is that you cannot always depend on their accuracy.β β Abraham Lincoln, 1864
We are no longer starved of informationβwe are drowning in it.
Kids need tools to sift through all the noise.
Here are a few mental models to help kids figure out what's worth paying attention to (and what thinking is faulty):
β’ 80/20 rule (Pareto principle)
β’ Occamβs razor
β’ First principles
β’ Second-order thinking
β’ Sunk cost
β’ Formal logic
β’ Ethics
β’ 80/20 rule (Pareto principle)
β’ Occamβs razor
β’ First principles
β’ Second-order thinking
β’ Sunk cost
β’ Formal logic
β’ Ethics
3. How to make money (economics, finance)
"Money doesn't buy happiness - it buys freedom." β @naval
Most people are confused about money because traditional school makes it seem so hard. They think you need certificates, permission, and a decade of training.
"Money doesn't buy happiness - it buys freedom." β @naval
Most people are confused about money because traditional school makes it seem so hard. They think you need certificates, permission, and a decade of training.
@naval In reality, all you need to make money is boldness, a willingness to work hard, and a desire to create value for others.
The world is not zero-sum, and there are plenty of books on making money. Teach your kid how. More importantly, let them try for themselves.
The world is not zero-sum, and there are plenty of books on making money. Teach your kid how. More importantly, let them try for themselves.
@naval 4. How to write a future (writing, self-development)
βWhen you can write effectively, you can do anything you want, and no one will stop you.ββ Dr. Jordan Peterson
Once your kid knows where she is, what she can ignore, and how to make money, give her tools for self-expression.
βWhen you can write effectively, you can do anything you want, and no one will stop you.ββ Dr. Jordan Peterson
Once your kid knows where she is, what she can ignore, and how to make money, give her tools for self-expression.
@naval There's no reason to settle for traditional schools' tepid, mediocre outcomes.
Teach your kid these foundational skills first.
Once they've mastered them, their path can be self-guiding for the rest of their lives.
rebeleducator.substack.com
Teach your kid these foundational skills first.
Once they've mastered them, their path can be self-guiding for the rest of their lives.
rebeleducator.substack.com
@naval Teach your kids:
1. Where they come from
2. How to think about information
3. How to make money
4. How to write their future
With those skills as a foundation, they can learn anything else.
Follow @rebelEducator for more ideas on designing an amazing education for your kids.
1. Where they come from
2. How to think about information
3. How to make money
4. How to write their future
With those skills as a foundation, they can learn anything else.
Follow @rebelEducator for more ideas on designing an amazing education for your kids.
Loading suggestions...