Specialization is for insects.

in heinlein •  2 years ago 

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“A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.”

— Robert Heinlein, "Time Enough for Love" 1973

To be narrowly specialized in life is to be CONTROLLABLE, and controlled. If you cannot do LOTS of things, the few things you CAN do will be supervised by tyrants.

Remember, the gods of education in the Woodrow Wilson days believed they needed to end the classical education style of teaching math, rhetoric, philosophy to EVERYONE, and instead use schools to make a work force better, by teaching specific labors and skills to be used in productivity... and NOTHING ELSE.

And they prevailed, and that is now the general purpose of education. 5000 years of human experience, out the window, because the self-styled genius leaders and shapers of our future declared that this is better. More productive people who are less able to argue important things. Do the work and shut up.

Heinlein nailed them.

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