Do you ever wonder why society no longer produces geniuses? Inventors such as Thomas Edison, musicians such as Bach and Mozart, leaders like the Founding Fathers? I often wonder about this lack of brilliance... where has it gone? Although I'm far from an answer, I do have a thought or two about it.
Our society encourages uniqueness and independence -- at a surface level. Little children are encouraged to "be themselves" and "follow their dreams," but when it comes down to this sort of action, they are beaten into the same mold as everyone else. Soon we see young adults who look just like every one of their peers, in that cliche attempt to be "different." It's almost painful observing the cookie-cutter children: everyone of them the same as their gingerbread neighbor. When a child has a little more energy than the rest of his peers, he's branded with ADHD or some other unsettling disorder. When the child grows older and begins to ask questions about a concept he doesn't understand, he's moved to a class for those aren't as "bright" but are made to feel just as special... almost. Meanwhile, the book-ish, inquisitive child is branded as a "nerd" for not being like everyone else. When both of these children grow up and disagree with their cookie-cut society, they're made to feel like "haters" for being "intolerant." This is a world where being yourself ultimately means being whatever personality the authorities have destined for you. And they wonder why we have no more geniuses... only young people who are constant need of medicine for depression, electronics for amusement, and peers exactly their own age for comfort. Poor shattered human beings with a standardized system to raise them.
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I'd like to meet a few of these students diagnosed with ADHD, ask them what activities they're interested in and give them some home education and a basement packed with potential (like Edison's), and watch the results. Just remember that ADHD is fairly recent, compared to the unique characteristics of each individual.
“The highest and strongest drives, when then break out passionately and drive the individual far above the average and the flats of the herd conscience, wreck the self-confidence of the community, its faith in itself, and it is as if its spine snapped. Hence just these drives are branded and slandered most. High and independent spirituality, the will to stand alone, even a powerful reason are experienced as dangers; everything that elevates an individual above the herd and intimidates the neighbor is henceforth called evil; and the fair, modest, submissive, conforming mentality, the mediocrity of desires attains moral designations and honors. Eventually, under very peaceful conditions, the opportunity and necessity for educating one’s feelings to severity and hardness is lacking more and more; and every severity, even in justice, begins to disturb the conscience; any high and hard nobility and self-reliance is almost felt to be an insult and arouses mistrust; the “lamb,” even more the “sheep,” gains in respect."
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