Happiness in Education

I will be discussing the article entitled “Happiness in Education.” It will include some personal feedback of my own from the TED video by Sir Ken Robinson, entitled “Do Schools Kill Creativity?”  Sir Robinson’s video discusses his belief that human beings, in general, have the potential for great creativity.  He goes on to say that he thinks that the educational system, as it exists today, is destroying that inborn ability.  He states that every educational system in the world has the same hierarchy of subjects: Mathematics, Languages, Humanities and, at the bottom, the Arts. The system makes you think that you’ll never be good at what you might like to do, such as “art, or dance” he states. There isn’t any real way to teach Art in public education he goes on to says, but there is for Mathematics.  There was a quote by the great artist, Picasso, in the TED video which states: “All children are born artists. The problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.”  In other words, the system downplays the urge for self-expression to the extent that the love for that type of creativity is either lost or forced on the back burner, hopefully to be restored when the “essentials” of education are put to rest.

Now, I remember growing up as a child loving Computers and the Arts. Drawing use to be one of my all-time favorite hobbies. As soon as I started high school I slowly stop pursuing it though. The interest just wasn’t there anymore.  I believe it was because of all the other subjects I had to complete in High School. It made me feel like I was part of the drowning model as stated in the article “Happiness in Education.” The work was just too overpowering, and made me feel like I was drowning.  It was drilled into me that Math, English and other subjects were more important in my educational life than the love for art.  Math was never my strong subject.  I can relate to what Sir Robinson says in the video in general. I wanted Computer Information Systems as a major, but I was reminded constantly that it required too much math so I choose a alternative route.  I decided that New Media Technology suited me better, as it basically combines both art and computers into one, which I loved!   Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi states in the article “Happiness in Education” that “flow” is a state in which one is immersed in an experience that is rewarding in and of itself, so that we are living in the experience in which “action and awareness are merged”  I believe that Computers and the Arts are my “flow.”  It’s what keeps me moving forward in life and makes me happy.

The article Happiness and Education asks:  Am I happy at my job?  And how can I become happier?  In Hebrew, the word “work” (avoda) stems from the same root as the word for “slave” (eved).  Most of us don’t have any choice but to work for a living.  Now, I can actually say I have had both good and bad jobs in my life.  Doing four years in the U.S. Navy was good, even though at times it felt like it was bad. The ability to travel and see parts of the world and culture I would not otherwise have been exposed to was great.  I was fortunate to visit many places, such as Italy, Spain, Greece, England and Africa. The work wasn’t easy though, and many times it demanded more time and effort then the usually nine to five job at the office.  The benefits at the end of my tour were worth it though.  The government provides me with free medical coverage and tuition for college.  Sometimes I believe people feel that their being forced to work makes them feel like slaves.  But, in general, working hard at jobs not really enjoyed, ultimately provides one with the discipline to become a better and stronger person down the road--if dreams are further pursued through education along the lines that will make one happier.

In summary, I really enjoyed watching the TED video by Sir Ken Robinson, and reading the article entitled “Happiness in Education.” It reinforced my love of art and computers, as well as my passion and willingness to pursue the dreams of my youth.  It is my flow and my happiness!  Most people have no choice but to slave away for a living, but it’s what you make of the job that makes one feel better, especially if you enjoy what you are doing.  In the final analysis, in order to see the light at the end of the tunnel, working hard is necessary to acquire the benefits, riches--and happiness--that you desire down the road.

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I will explain two of my own personal experiences, based on an idea from Gertner’s article entitled: The Futile Pursuit of Happiness. In that article, Daniel Gilbert talks about how ownership of a BMW might seem like it would make life perfect, but he goes on to say it will almost certainly be less exciting than we anticipate.  And how about new plasma TV?  One may have high hopes, he suggests, but the impact will almost always be less amazing than anticipated.

In my youth, I liked staying entertained with action, adventure and role-playing types of video games.  I always wanted to have the latest and greatest game out at the time. Playing them made me feel like I was in a whole new world. It just felt right at the time. As time went on though,  and as I got a lot older, I realized video gaming wasn’t always the best way to pass the time.  I felt the need to socialize more, and get better educated. Gaming is fun sometimes with friends online, but after a while it takes a lot out of you. It makes you feel empty inside, and short on cash. The older I got the smarter I got both in mind and spirit. My whole attitude changed for the better, and I applied to a community college.

Now on page twelve of Gertner’s article, Lowenstein talks about hot and cold states in which emotions pit against one’s intellect.  He goes on to talk about how climbers have a poor memory for pain and usually ignore it at great peril, discounting what Lowenstein refers to as “turn-back time“.  I had a similar experience this summer climbing up Mt. Taurus, situated in the East Hudson Highlands.  At the time, I was hiking with my sister and a friend.  Mt. Taurus is 1,300 feet above sea level, and I wasn’t used to climbing mountains.  I was doing fine until I got about half way up.  Eventually, I reached the peak, but by that point, I was very low on energy.  Going back downhill, I had to stop a  few times.  It was now getting dark and we were anxious to get back down before sunset.  Greatly relieved, we made it back to the car park while it was still light.  We had accomplished our goal.  I was happy, but quite frankly, not sure if I’d ever want do it again!  Only time will tell.  

In conclusion, I really enjoyed watching Daniel Gilbert’s video, and reading the article entitled: The Futile Pursuit of Happiness.  It made me understand my own personal experience even more then I did before. Sometimes things that we think might excite us at first often turn out to be disappointing down the road.  That’s just human nature, I suppose.  Many times we think that the things that momentarily peak our interest will change our lives.  In actuality, that doesn’t always happen, as Gilbert states in the video. Lowenstein also talks about people experiencing hot and cold states in life. We just have to learn to deal with those situations and accept the limitations dictated by our bodies.

Welcome everyone to my blogspot!

    Hi, my name is Andrew Cymes and I'm 29 years old.  I was born
in October so I'm a Libra.  My major is New Media Technology.  I
had a fun time making my blogspot.  I like how there is so much
you can put into it.  The opportunities are almost endless.  I hope
you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed making it.  Feel free to post on
my blog. My favorite food as you can see is Speghetti and Meatballs. 

Now It's time to eat! :-)