Can’t we all just get
along and agree to the same things? No, we cannot. If anyone spout these lines
of submission just think that they want you to be a wimp to play into their
every command. One of the worst ways
to operate in this world is by having a group think mentality. Groupthink is
bad because one person can lead a country down the wrong path because everyone
around him agrees with his delusions and thoughts of grandeur, ahem Donald Trump.
This example above is on a broad scale. A smaller, more universal scale would
be school. White supremacy controls the current education system. Don't believe
me? Who is a godfather of math, science, language, medicine? If Imhotep does
not cross your mind, then you are a product of white supremacy. Please do not
ascribe to that movie based version of Imhotep either, that version is an
insult to who the man represented.
Consider which racial
group appears to be better than other racial groups. In these schools that have
a strong European influence across the globe, many should feel privileged to
learn the excellent history of Europeans and how they civilized the world. Not
only is the world more civilized, but we also have better people due to
religion. Oh, I will not delve into religion because that realm is laden with
so much group thinking that slight descent has caused death and destruction.
Curiosity is in every
human from birth. We know this because our African ancestors traveled the
globe, the proof can be seen with bones found, carvings leaving messages,
similar practices, and monuments erected. As children, we discover things daily
and always ask questions because we want to know. But in school, we are told to
stop asking so many questions from the people who are supposed to teach us. We
have experienced others telling someone to stop asking questions and have taken
on this thinking as well so that we either repeat the same lines or we think
that the person needs to shut up (at least I know I have thought it). Who has
not heard that one should mind their own business? With the education one
learns in school, does it truly help you in the real world? Yes and No, in most
cases No. I used to lament on some of the aspects of math that I did not need to
know, then discovered that the math I learned taught was not sufficient due to
my geography of being in a predominantly black country. Math is utterly
relevant because of its importance to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Mathematics).
After reading The
Mis-education of the Negro by Carter Godwin Woodson, Ph.D, it made me wonder how
many black people around the globe have a lack of education because of their
color and geographical location. I may be going overboard with my prediction
and attempt to gain sympathy for myself, after all in Trinidad and Tobago we
are told that we receive the ‘English Education.’ My issue could have been not
paying much attention to math because my classmates did not care about math
either. Also, I did not bother to learn how the English language work and to
this day I need help to proofread my essays. There are hardly any teachers who
can say I am not a brilliant student, but I do not aspire to my greatness with
course work instead I put about 50%. I should have stellar marks for all
classes, yet I slide by in many cases.
Why is this happening
to me and many others? The affinity to be mediocre could stem from not wanting
to be the best in school and a culture of being teased for receiving high
marks. Could be from being teased if one became the teacher’s pet. Bullying for
receiving praise or awards for achievements. Lauded by elders for doing such a
good job just to be ridiculed by one's peers. I know for a fact that this
remains a part of my psyche to this day. Avoiding the limelight was partially
necessary to me from my start of school till I finished high school because I
have an older brother who instructed me to do as such. Humans have a need to be
seen and acknowledged. My brother tried to quell my shine, but there are parts
of me that came through regardless. For college, wanting to avoid being seen
enhances for some more than others. Attending college has taught me that
networking is needed to succeed. One needs to be a teacher’s pet to gain good
grades and recommendations. One needs to make excellent grades to earn
scholarships. One needs to do a good job all the time to be often recognized
and celebrated to succeed in life. One needs to know one's available networks
to utilize the college experience and build on it after graduation. One needs
to create a stellar resume to attain a good job.
Jobs smh. Another form
of Groupthink that squelches the mind. Let us start with the fact that schools
are the breeding ground of stomping on a person's innovative spirit. If I want
to try an experiment, I would most likely be told not to do that because it
will be wrong. Sounds so much like religion also, I digress. One learns to
follow the rules in school, then go to work and follow the rules again. A
lifetime of following the rules, no wonder people go crazy.
Indeed diversity is the spice of life
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