Dancing Sfardic Dreamer's Grand Unified Social Theory
Health and Education is the key...
My life experience, to this point, includes several years of work as both a systems engineer and as a mentor in the computer field after completing my undergraduate degree in computer science. I then began a career change, starting as a teacher of mathematics at a Special Education High School on an emergency basis, and moving to substitute teaching of various subjects at both the high school and middle school levels. I have recently completed a Master of Arts degree in Teaching secondary mathematics. I feel quite strongly that education is the key to improving one's personal situation, and that of the world at large. Because of my lifelong interest in travel, and the Mediterranean in particular, I hope to make a significant contribution by teaching English and living in several different countries. Only by living abroad is it possible, in my opinion, to really begin to understand the world.
Whether we consider civil rights, treatment of minority groups, poverty, homelessness, globalization, even job opportunities around the world, it seems to me that the one way to solve most of mankind's problems is through education. Education that teaches both necessary content, of course, but more importantly, critical thinking. How does one distinguish a good argument from an invalid argument, logical evidence from specious, or circular reasoning, red herrings, misuse of statistics, and how does one apply a value system? All of these things require careful thinking, and training in how to analyze information. Of course the access to and ability to assimilate that information is a prerequisite, so availability of information, as well as the ability to read it (in multiple languages, perhaps) goes without saying. When I think of how to approach a variety of problems, from dealing with hate crimes, to a long term solution to breaking the cycle of poverty, to helping to evolve a socially just and sustainable society, it always comes back, in my mind, to the need to be able to think logically and with care.
Even if we consider dating relationships, love, and our current culture, education is of vital importance. Why, and what do education have to do with dating and romantic relationships? Well, to borrow a question from pop song,
What does love have to do with it? On Valentine’s Day, not much. Card companies, florists, candy companies, and romance novelists may benefit, but people certainly do not. We have all fallen victim to the fallacious assumption that a romantic relationship is a necessary part of each of our lives in order to complete us a people, when the opposite is actually closer to the truth. A romantic relationhsip, IMHO, can only thrive in a situation where each party has separately examined and decided upon a self-consistent set of compatible values (here are my personal values …). Romance is short-term infatuation, upon which a relationship can only be based for the briefest of periods, while true love must be built upon mutual knowledge, understanding, and respect. Real love is not something that simply happens. It takes work.
It also takes careful thought, which is where education comes in, again.
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