Does education rob us of our originality?

Question

"The main use of an education consists in the check it gives to originality, and the way in which it prevents an inconvenient number of people from using their own eyes.

That we will not be at the trouble of looking at things for ourselves if we can get any one to tell us what we ought to see goes without saying, and it is the business of schools and universities to assist us in this respect."

Answer 1

Please amend your question to give us the source of the quote, because this is a very wise observation. And the sad fact is, most higher education today is intentionally that: to channel the spirit of original thinking into correct channels. The professions require it, and all other major careers require it in practice if not in licensing boards. So it goes.

This is why the creative careers must approach academia with grave caution. Never, never go to art school because you want to be an art teacher or otherwise credentialed professional. Go to the school of education, or design if that is your thing, and take art classes as you can. If you really expect to make a career out of fine art, certainly you need to know the realities of techniques and materials. But forget the degree program and use the community college for all it is worth, and create a studio, however crude and tiny, in your own home or that of an indulgent relative, and just do your best work and refine it from feedback of your customers at art and craft shows. Buy a camper and follow the fairs, if you are young and free enough, or old and free enough.

Liberty is as necessary to real art and originality as technique.

Answer 2

I don't think education is the enemy of originality, if that's what you're asking.

Education can actually help us to be informed in our originality so that we can learn the most and make the most use of our gifts.

For example, with things like spelling and grammar, education teaches us how to use words and sentences. If we refuse to use the things we learn about language, the positive things originality can be responsible for can't be shared with others.

Standard education, particularly before the past 15 or 20 years, did focus mainly on teaching children to conform (I had a teacher in high school who was left-handed, and she wrote funny since her teacher in elementary school would rap her elbow if he caught her using her left hand to write). I don't think all forms of education are so restrictive now, though, and originality can flourish even as knowledge is being taken in.

Answer 3

Education does deprive of us the opportunity to develop our own methods of sorting with certain issues. However, a school based education would assist us with our knowledge in maths, English, science, etc. These methods that have been developed over the ages are very valuable and our society would be fairly backwards if we had to create them again.
All other education, such as from our parents, is useful. While we may not have the opportunity for developing our own ways of dealing with problems, it may also be the very thing that keeps us alive.

Answer 4

our originality comes from our heart's, not from our mind's.

Although most people only see your surface, your creativness, you ability to respond different to situations will define you.

Even with education though, you should question anything you were taught that you feel uncomfortable with. This will help you define your "opinion"

Frankly though there are some things in education that we would never be capable to come up with ourselves or spend a life time figuring out. We should be grateful of those before us and add more in the future; this will help evolve human kind into a better undersanding of the world around us.

Answer 5

Well, Education, in the broad sense I think always gives us originality, as i define it to have this gain inherent within it. Yet, I would say that some education systems that are in effect might stife the originality of people. still i would say that a vast majority of educators only open their students minds to originality a bit more in any subject.

Answer 6

I always thought I'd be a rally origional guitarist, painter, artist, etc. because I wouldnt be 'steered' or biased in ny particular direction or persuasion. However, I can draw some cool **** and play pretty good with a guitar, but, I can't draw a picture of 'something' or play a song. I don't know any of the fundamentals to be able to do that. Like chords and techniques. To be ableto be good at something, you must first know its fundamentals. How you aquire those fundamentals is open to many various methods of 'education'.

Answer 7

it doesn't rob us, because you can still learn to be original or creative in Art class, music class, Gym class and all other extra curricular activities. BUT..it does lock you up in a little box where they shove their ideas and the ways that you should think, act and react to many things which kind of does deprive us of thinking by ourselves and making decisions ourselves, instead of being forcefed an idea that isn't completely not our own.

Answer 8

It is because it is not EDUCATION but teaching. Terms are different but like you said it robs us. True education is about inside of ourselves so education should be able to talk with ourselves!

Teaching is only destroying the creation and time loss.

Answer 9

It doesn't have to. And it depends on the type of education it is. If you mean public education in America, then yes it does rob us of it, to an extent; and this is actually mostly not because of the actual education system, although they encourage such blind conformity of course, but rather it is the fault of parents of children that are being educated, because those parents without any love of their children, and without any desire for their children to retain their identities, originality and open- and free - mindedness, that makes children vulnerable to the manipulation effected by capitalistic education.

Answer 10

Only if you let it. It is better to get the education though and do what you want with it because working a crappy job will rob you of your originality.