When a person teaches you something, how to make sure that he is not meting out his own agenda on you?

Question

I mean to say, when do you know that he is sticking to actual facts and the real thing that meant to be taught, rather than his own beliefs personal interpretation of them?

Answer 1

Let me make sure I understand the question. Do you mean like in a work setting where a colleague is teaching you the job, but they really want your position for themselves, so they are teaching you wrong so that you'll get in trouble or fired?

Answer 2

I don't think it is possible to teach without having an agenda of some kind. The best teachers understand this and try to presenst alternatives in every point they make. Sometimes the best way to know is to ask the teacher, POLITELY, if there are other ideas on the subject. I taught for a long time, and was pleased when students asked if there were other points of view, because it meant the students were thinking about what was being said. If you can't ask, just try to see if you can figure out what the teacher's bias is, then Google around to see if there are other opinions.

Also, keep in mind that just because it's somebody's agenda, it isn't necessarily wrong.

Answer 3

It is almost impossible to teach without a few biases sneaking in. It is when it is a planned agenda that you should worry.

Remember this is done to American children the moment they are dropped into day care centres. They are begun to be shaped towards what the government wishes. Their likes, dislikes, historical take on life, etc. Everything. I have seen it also done from infancy in Israel where young children are from a very young age writing personal messages on bombs for the Palestinians.

Propaganda is everywhere. Inavoidable. What is important is to realize it is there and look around and past it into the truth. In my life I have seen the effects of propaganda on my generation in ways that still appal me as I uncover more secrets daily. The hippie culture, our wonderful music, all those drugs, viet nam, feminism, the war on drugs, free love, assassinations and unrest, pornography and the sacred cow of homosexuality.

And don't forget the tragic beauties and beasts of entertainment who died young under mysterious causes clouded in mystery whatever the public spin was. We were told the good die young. They had us so stoned on mind altering drugs and sex that we accepted that as a fact. After all we had been taught to never trust anyone over 30.

We were given leaders who deceived us. Gloria Steinham has experienced and written of it. Many of the "great" feminist leaders twisted the women of their generation away from womanliness. We all bought into it, we all lost. But things can be slowly turned around. What has been stolen is family values and those have to come back.

Propaganda is what got us into this mess. If we had not bought into what the media fed us things might not be quite where they are now. What I am saying is, you are on an agenda the moment you hit grade school.

Who controls the media controls the mind of a nation. When I was a kid I discovered a philosophy called existentialism. It espoused that if you did not see or experience it, it did not really exist for you. I look now at that philosophy and see it for the bitter ramblings of a brilliant Parisian misogynist and see the damage it did to society.

So where do you draw the line?. At the end of the day it is up to you to decide what you choose to believe. Just use your brain, listen to your heart and choose well.

Answer 4

...good question.

if a person is relating something to you which that person hasn't personal experience with...then that person will either believe or not any informations which are related.

teachers do this for a living but they are not responsible to let you know what are their own beliefs.

same for media news and other relationships.

the point is....you are not asked to believe all that you are taught and the agendas of other(s) should not be primary in the relationship.

what is important for you is that you are receiving informations from others they consider to be valueable for reasons which are known or unknown.

and you should not let it be more than that.

you will never agree with all informations and all never will.

this is as it was for those who compiled and disseminated the informations you are being taught and learning.

and those before that.

however. all informations are relatively true that you may read. and all informations become more valueable in the light of understanding of what is humanity.

know that and you won't judge person(s) or information(s) negatively and you will be able to have a better relationship with others and informations.


be well

Answer 5

I don't think anyone can teach anything without having an agenda of their own, nor learn something without your own agenda altering the facts. There are only a few subjects (ex. math, chemistry, etc) that are facts. Even history is subject to 'agenda", even if only in the ordering and emphasis given to dates of importance, time line, political perspective, or even the students tendency to not listen attentively; then add in the testing questions and you have someones agenda. I think having your natural tendency to eliminate an opposite agenda to your own will likely cause you to not believe the opposing factors, sort of like filtering water, getting rid of all that you don't want and keeping the rest. I do think that it is important to learn about lots of differing agenda, you might change your previous opinion about something that can alter the way you live your own life.

Answer 6

--It depends on the subject --Is it indeed objectivem are there true facts involved?
--Is it philosophical which can be loosely base on facts?

--If its religious, then you have a way to make sure of the interpretation, The Bible!

(2 Timothy 3:16-17) “16 All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be fully competent, completely equipped for every good work.”

In different areas of study, there are certain plumb lines that can be used to measure truthfulness of ideas expressed & certain ones that cannot.

FOR INSTANCE: in the sciences--proven sciences can prove or disprove the false sciences such as evolution, astrology etc.

BUT the false sciences cannot be used to prove any of the factual sciences.

Answer 7

Excellent question. It is vital that you listen to your gut. People are bound to put their own slant on things because the mind creates its own scenarios. So, the very fact that you are asking this question means that you are aware and it is very important that you do not buy into what someone says/teaches just because they say or teach it! Even a doctor can have his/her own agenda-like when they prescribe a drug that one of the drug companies has plugged them into, etc.

Answer 8

S/he may well be doing that so question everything you are taught and dig out the facts for yourself. You may agree with the agenda or find you disagree but at least you will informed, unlike many of the people posing questions on this site.

Answer 9

If what this person teaches you makes sense and will help with doing good, who cares if they are meting out their agenda ? You are your best judge. If you cannot know, for any reasons, if they are meting out their agenda, see if can be useful in general.....

Answer 10

I believe all teachers of the humanities are subjective to some degree and their teaching is colored by their own life experiences.However science is taught as scientific fact and there is no room for subjectivity.

Answer 11

You can't be sure, which is why it is the student's responsibility to be a critical thinker. Gather, analyze, synthesize, and disseminate information.

Don't be a receptacle in which someone else deposits their skewed data and beliefs. If you can find such a teacher who would walk hand in hand with you, as your guide, but as a student him-/herself, you both would be infinitely better off. Ultimately, the process of the best kind of education involves teachers-as-students and students-as-teachers.