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Friday, October 7, 2016

Schooling for mass literacy has its short comings but are there many easily adaptable alternatives out there ?


Very interesting, important and impactful speech but……then ….

I got it last week itself through the link given below.
Everyone cannot but agree with this person on many issues but….

Subject of speech: - Homogenized and uniform literacy.

I have already seen this and as you rightly said excellent and I rate it as among the many speeches which have had a great impact on the listener that they force the listener to think.


In fact when I listened to it the first time it took me back to the movie ‘ And Justice for All’ wherein Al Pacino used to argue his case and come out and sit on the stairs of the court or the wonderful arguments of  Howard Roark or the great talks of Osho and JK.


I am using all these for the impact that they have on the listener.


Of course, there are innumerable examples in the plays of Shakespeare, Kalidasa and many epics across several languages which got men to think of multiple possibilities and many logical approaches and evolve many systems and methods to lead a life.



In this particular subject I have also read some 26 years back De–schooling society by Ivan Illich and such similar stuff.



Having said all these, mass literacy, like democracy or anti-biotic, is accepted for want of a better alternative and sometimes we adopt it in totality as if it is the only method or succumb to it and unfortunately it also becomes  inevitable in certain circumstances.



However, within it or along with it or beyond it we can always play around.



Until and unless we have better alternatives or keep trying for better alternatives or at least allow space to think of better alternatives and also ensure to make the vested interest groups involved in promoting certain methods  all great thoughts, ideas and speeches will remain as unfertilized potential eggs pandering to  few moments of sensational titillation.



This also , invariably happens because of our utter disgust with existing systems we tend to oversimplify or over generalize extremely complicated and complex issues which as bad or little less  as those who have been trying to homogenize human beings, especially their psychological aspirations, feelings and creativity .


All these emanate as a result of a fundamentally wrong perspective based on bias towards homogenization and uniformity.


You may if you have time and want in detail links 1,2,3,4 given at the end on literacy, education, homogenization and the presumptions of success.


We need to carefully tread on issues where the speeches tend to be too judgmental, even if well meaning because their impact is so heavy that anyone can fall for them and that is what they are meant to be.


It is perfectly alright and nothing wrong but they may not be the ultimate solution especially without clear cut, easily adaptable alternatives.


Because such speeches are meant to be taken seriously as those who are making them are doing it out of total sincerity.

This is what I have learned while reading modern judgments, I mean the legal ones.

On Judgments:-

I have read many historic judgments (including some from the international court of justice as they used to get published in the 90s in some British magazines and many magazines which were using some of those judgments as tools to justify certain events and happenings).


Some excellent verdicts which I used to categorize and read based on clever interpretation of legality of the land; mastery of verbal articulation involving both logic and the 42 major logical fallacies; verdicts which showed the intellectual sharpness as well as concern for the principle of humanitarianism based on the philosophy of optimum benefit to the maximum number without hurting the feeling of many.



On articulation:-


Articulation is both an art and science but must not be mistaken as a mere mastery of words or linguistics skills.


Its greatness is its ability to deliver effective communication for various occasions and on several topics.


It is because articulation I believe is the flow of thoughts and ideas that use the wings of expressions to weave appropriate and appealing patterns.


That's why all great leaders, especially political and religious ones are very articulate and they do not exercise any restraint unless for diplomatic wheedling.




Articulation with appropriate definition and adequate elaboration brings out multiple nuances and niceties like canine senses of smell and which are all cleverly and pleasantly ensconced in the colorful expressions with a beauty like the multiple shades of pavonine splendor.


All said and done everything evolves and we must evolve along with active participation and involvement of wisdom, by wisdom I always mean these.


On Wisdom:-

Wisdom is the work shop where works of evolutionary trends and experiences of everyone in it emerge to express wisely the essence of everything to enlighten everyone;

A wisdom which prioritizes living in the present context and along with practicing certain time tested values which have relevance in present context but with global perspective to bequeath a livable planet, a lovable society with lovely infrastructures and improved living conditions;

A wisdom that evaluates everything and everyone with contextual relevance and based on the inherent attributes or merits of what or who is being evaluated without extrapolating any  presumptions, opinions, judgments, perceptions, expectations, ideologies, doctrines, identity based ideology and so on;
A wisdom which is willing to make minor adjustments, small compromises, spontaneous cooperation to create compatible and conducive atmosphere with humility devoid of any egocentric pride;

A wisdom with the realization and a perspective that must be aware that life is a constant process of learning of the multiple dimensions of many things and the various dynamics of those dimensions involving the constant interaction and interrelationship with everyone and everything.

A wisdom that is willing to accommodate multiple methods or means of life with some overall tolerant attitude embedded on humanitarian concerns towards all human life and environmental or natural concern towards all other species.

A wisdom that gets its clarity of understanding through a churning process that takes into consideration several aspects from the practical to the philosophical to the all fantasies of the mind.







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