“Children learn what they live. Put kids in a class and they will live out their lives in an invisible cage, isolated from their chance at community; interrupt kids with bells and horns all the time and they will learn that nothing is important or worth finishing; ridicule them and they will retreat from human association; shame them and they will find a hundred ways to get even. The habits taught in large-scale organizations are deadly.” ― John Taylor GattoIf you do not put your children into these deadly public organizations, or "educate" them according to State mandates, bureaucrats and other petty tyrants will become angry and aggressive. They may even send Child Protective Services to kidnap your children, for the most asinine reason, unless you provide them with proper "education."
Ironically, if you choose to unschool your children and teach them that obedience to authority is destructive and dangerous, the State may get angry still.
The tribal engineers and ministers of propaganda want children to exist in a perfect numb stupor, where rote memorization, robotic repetition, biased historical understanding, and obedience to authority represent the pinnacle of their "learning" and "knowledge."
The cultural parasites only want to propagate lemmings who will unquestioningly accept the status quo. They want worker drones who believe that the breadth and scope of their lives should revolve around going to school, getting a job, going to war, getting married, paying taxes, and dying.
Therefore, free range, freethinking children are natural dissidents. The aforesaid agenda will not mesh with their rebellious spirit. Their mentality will be gleefully opposed to the hegemonic structures of this culture.
Freethinking Children are Dissidents in Training
If you dare to teach children how to reason from first principles, understand their emotional worlds, and to think according to their own volition, the mind molders will consider your efforts a bastardization of "good education," because your free range child would then pose an imminent threat to the system.
The overseers do not want autonomous individuals walking the streets. They do not want self-responsible people. They do not want people who think for themselves roaming freely—for it is within these individuals that the rising tide of revolt festers like a pus-filled boil, until it grows so agitated and inflamed that it bursts into an uncontrollable urge to smite the system.
Freethinking children, then, are contrarian by the nature of their upbringing. Their psychology is tuned to the channel of individuality and absolute freedom. If they learn to think instead of become "educated," they will be prepared to not fall victim to manufactured consent and political servitude.
This is why all governmental systems of education must maintain the illusion of education by systematically eroding free thought and willfulness in the minds of the youth, and instead creating loyal, fearful citizens.
The Child is a Dissident and a Scientist
Luckily, the natural tendency of all children is to seek freedom. Children inherently want to explore the world without fetters. They want to live and learn on their own. The child's mind yearns to work out problems without interference. It is no wonder that psychologist Jean Piaget famously referred to the young children he worked with as "little scientists."
It is this inquisitive, yet rebellious energy of the child that beckons all of us to strive for abolition of traditional education. The injustices foisted upon children by these insect-lords who seek to collectivize all uniqueness into a matrix of utter sameness and rigidity must end.
This farming, stamping, controlling, and eating of children is not the birthright of humankind. All people, as demonstrated, just want to be free of controls and violent manipulation...but this desire for freedom begins with nonviolent and peaceful parenting.
So try not to be afraid to raise your children in the way they were meant to be raised, based on their heritage as freedom loving and curious entities. State goons will become aggressive and angry, and may even spout threats, impose sanctions, or try to kidnap your children.
But we must all stand firm.
The more people who reject the byzantine system of failed educational practices, and work to nurture the love of freedom within their children, the stronger and more beautiful we can make the world.
It is time to love our children by respecting their innate desire for freedom and learning...
By helping them destroy all fetters.
My name is Sterlin. Follow me @ Psychologic-Anarchist. I also run the Psychologic-Anarchist Facebook page and produce many YouTube videos. My interests lie in the intersection of counseling psychology and anarchism. I write about the depredations of psychiatry, and also the new philosophy of compassionate anarchism. We have a large community devoted to discussing psychology and relational voluntaryism.
Thinking different is so important and it always has been.
I like those quotes and I think Albert was a child of that kind. ;-)
Have a great day everybody!
Well said. Thanks for sharing the meme here. Very nice.
The one thing i hate about psychology is majority i have met who have studied it seem to think they understand the neuroscience of the brain. Knowing how a computer uses and processes information is very different than knowing how every component speaks to each other have every string of bits add up to create the information required to compute.
I use marijuana and i get alot of psychology students preaching to me about what they think they know. Psychology is hugely important i just wish when taught it they made the distinction between neuroscience and psychology and what makes them completely different.
I do how ever love your post <3
(I have an actual mental illness that is widely misunderstood and is a good example of how psychology can make the world of difference while neuroscience for the most part can not. When it comes to what marijuana does to the brain only neuroscience can awnser that.)
Each are hugely important but usually confused with one another by the very people that study it.
Marijuana is not a drug and it does not kill brain cells or cause mental illness!
Interesting article on Free Range Children. It is an interesting concept, and one I have mixed feelings about. I hope for more on this topic.
Absolutely. I may delve more into the specifics in the future. Also see some of my older, more in depth articles on how to treat children for more of my thoughts. Thanks for the comment!
Another great post Sterlin. I used to work in a research lab with a PhD student who was only 18 years old. He was a child prodigy who got accepted into a university at the age of 11 and started classes at 12. He took a year off before starting his PhD work and was still done with the academic portion of it by the age of 18. I got to know him a little in the short time we worked together, but I learned very quickly that he was very bright, but not necessarily any brighter than anyone else that went through the coursework at the prescribed age, like the post-docs and professors. Talking further with him I realized that he was able to be so advanced at such a young age because he was homeschooled and was therefore unfettered by the traditional education route!
His parents were entrepreneurs and could therefore afford the time necessary to raise him in that way. He was well adjusted emotionally and had no problem socializing with people of any age group, including his peers, contrary to what I had been told about homeschooled kids and them being social outcasts. He was fearless about making decisions and one of the most confident human-beings I have ever met. Not braggadocious or putting on a front to impress, he was just truly confident, and KNEW he was doing at all times. All of the illusions I had been taught about homeschooling were shattered in looking at his example.
Fast forward to just a few years ago, I started talking to my future wife about having children and the idea of homeschooling them. I must say it was a hard sell, so I started doing tons of research and came across John Taylor Gatto. When I showed her some of his writings on the subject, the convincing still took some time, but she was on board as the evidence of its benefits were impossible to refute.
We're now happily married, I'm a stay-at-home dad and we're raising our daughter peacefully. Now that I know what I know, she will never see the inside walls of an institution without her specifically requesting to be there. She's a very bright kid, and at 2-1/4 is already counting into the teen numbers, has an impressive vocabulary and is in the process of recognizing written letters and learning the sounds that they make when they form words. She even recognizes a few words as symbols already. She's pretty good with spatial reasoning as well, but not quite where she is with the math and verbal stuff. This is not to mention how athletic she's become, running circles around many of the kids her age. In case you can't tell from the above, I'm a proud dad, and maybe a little biased ;).
But seriously, I'm of the opinion now that her flourishing is a direct result of the peaceful parenting (among other things, like proper nutrition during pregnancy and unmedicated birth). In addition to being bright, she may be the single most defiant human being I have ever encountered. Since this behavior isn't considered a challenge to our "authority" as parents, this unfettered independence of hers goes relatively unchecked (except for safety and feasibility issues of course).
That little scientist is therefore allowed to test the boundaries of the physical world, and so she is able to make sense of it in ways that other kids, like myself when I was even three times her age, who were raised with authoritarian methods, are unable to do. She simply has very little holding her back.
After seeing her example unfold before my eyes, and the countless others that I've met and read about, I'm convinced that we are systematically destroying the intelligence and creativity of our children by parenting violently and tyrannically. To make matters even worse, then we send them off to indoctrination camps to be brow-beat into submission for over a decade. For anyone on the fence about this, please do your research. You'll find all of the evidence irrefutable and you'll never think about this stuff in the same way again. You owe that to your children to at least look into it.
I am so sorry that I took a long time to get to read your post. However, I feel sorry for the people who didn't. What you had to say here perfectly illustrated why I am so passionate about homeschooling, unschooling, and other forms of tutelage outside the scope of public education.
I really enjoyed your personal story here with persuading your wife and getting her on board with peaceful parenting via John Taylor Gatto. His work can be transformative, and it appears it helped you persuade her in this instance. And I can see that bringing your daughter up in this manner has helped solidify the idea about how dangerous and destructive public schooling is to children. You nailed it, friend.
Please, do the world a favor and expand this post into your own blog.
I will follow it.
Cheers.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, I apologize for it being such a long comment, but I couldn't get all of it in anything smaller. I'll definitely work on expanding it.
Here you go Sterlin. I wrapped my blog post about it into a Steem introduction. Thanks for the encouragement. https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@randr10/randr10-introduction-on-steemit
@sterlinluxan ...This was, as always, another perfect post! Sterlin, I have been having a severe problem with 'trolls' on this platform...there's no base security here at all, and the ONLY reason these trolls are here is to attack you & drive down your value...they don't care about value...all they DO care about is trainwrecking this platform, and they should be ejected & be done with...I can't even write a post here anymore...I DO admit that MY POSTS are 'controversial'...but I should at least be able to post! If you can help then I would be MOST GRATEFUL!...I'm still working on Facebook as well! At least on Facebook you can 'block' trolls...they LOVE it here because there IS no security at ALL!...I'm ALL for a decentralized block chain...but SOMETHING needs to be done!...Steemit is being devalued by these trolls & their daily actions...I swear to you that they were dropped on their heads as children! Look at MY posts! @terryrall ...I am an Anarchist & a Partisan...I admit to that!...but I don't jump their posts & ruin them...Help!
God! I forgot my article review...you are absolutely correct!...My parents practiced extremely limited corporal punishment...rarely ever used...they gave me a choice every time...a corporal act using a rubber thong OR a weeks stay in the room...NO I'm NOT a Masochist!...but I always took the corporal act because I was a kid that didn't like the lock up!...My mother applied the punishment because my Dad couldn't do it!...I can count on the fingers of one hand how many beatings I had...when I hit puberty(13) the corporal punishment stopped...in short I got jail time in my room for a period...My Father informed me that I was too old to be beaten anymore...and frankly, my Mother was sick of it!...So I did room time because they KNEW I hated it...I still got out to eat & I was allowed to READ as much as I wanted...(NO TV!)...Today I'm against beatings mainly because today's parents go way overboard with no idea how MUCH to discipline the child...in short they don't know what is too excessive & damaging to a child...I suggest 'jail time' in the room!...It worked for me!
I homeschool my children, and a good deal of it falls under the unschooling category. In my experience it really hasn't been as adversarial as the picture you paint here.
I've always been pretty free-range despite adults trying to exert control over me. Examples -
Sometimes I wonder if I'm this way because I'm just going against adults as a motive, or I was just going through the motions. But maybe, being extremely oppressive may cause someone to just go against your grain :)
Haha, Kevin. I love the way you characterized your free range activities. But indeed, I think being extremely oppressive can certainly elicit a counterattack type of response.
Are you familiar with "reactance psychology"? Your thoughts are precisely what the reactance psychologists seem to think.
Checking up on it right now :)
Any recommended goto?
Upvoted for the content!
I appreciate that, Nexus. Thank you.
You're quite welcome.
Great article my friend
Thanks, friend!
Children are pure and innocent they see the world differently but see us humans as one they don't focus on what colour we are and they all learn differently.
Couldn't agree more. My parents home schooled me.
Perfect! This is the kind of stuff I like to read.
What would you suggest parents who can't homeschool their children do?
That is certainly tough in the current environment. I am not so unrealistic as to believe everyone has the support systems, financial security, and ability to home school their children, but I believe if parents must send their children to public school, at least try to be picky about where they send them. Some public schools may be better than others.
However, it would be even better if those parents could find a cheaper private school. Some private schools are lot better in terms of the curriculum, but I understand this may still not be an option. But it is certainly something they should strive for.
The best overall option is just continue fighting for abolition of the current system as it stands so we can create more options for parents who don't have any at the moment. And this is precisely what I hope to continue doing.
This is great, thanks! I am so thankful that I was homeschooled and "free range." I'm thinking about a combination of homeschooling, private tutors, and online work for my future children, plus social stuff and activities that they choose. :-)
Yep. All of those are great ways to help build strong adults. Thanks for your comment @edgeland.
Very good content-- completely agree! sharing
Thanks! Share away!
I am really a little at a loss for words and I like your posts. I agree that we need to teach our children to be free-thinking. Honestly the schools can't be fully blamed. So many teachers hate the way they have to teach. (teachers have very little control over what or how, to teach) A lot of kids excel and go far in life, and happy with what they worked hard for. The kids who struggle (like mine did) are the ones who pay the price. They get bullied, teachers don't help them learn, and school mentors do nothing.
Many parents like myself have no choice but to send them to these public schools. But, I did teach him to be a thinker and to never let anyone put him down, nor feel useless. I wish I could have home schooled him, but since I couldn't, the best I could do was nurture him every step of the way.
But, blaming the schools for the way kids are is not really fair. We, as parents also have a huge role in the way they are brought up. Because of the way I raise my child, he will succeed further than what I even did.
When we have to do something, even if we don't agree with it, we do the best we can.
The craziest thing I see parents do is hitting there kids while telling them not to hit, or taking something off them and telling them it's called sharing lol. Hard to know what lessons kids will learn from these things but I think it's safe to say peaceful parenting is a step in the right direction.
Agreed. And then to take your analogy further, we tell our kids don't steal, don't hit, use your words to solve problems etc. Simple basic stuff. But, once they get into the "real world" they find out that - Hey, we really didn't mean all that stuff. - And they find out the large people have invented all sorts of excuses for doing exactly what we told them not to do!? sigh
We are failing, but have not yet failed. Posts like this are a glimmer of light.
This is great to see. I was lucky to have parents that allowed me to quit public school to teach myself at age 14. My younger brothers both eventually followed suit, in different ways, according to what made sense for each of them. We all turned out better for it.
YES! We are unschooling our children at the Garden of Eden. They are learning that their time is their own, and their passions are their greatest guides. They learn that they are supreme unto themselves, that there is nothing they "have" to do, nothing they "should" do. They are living freedom, not reading about it from a textbook. They are smart and strong and healthy, and more capable and responsible than many of the adults who come to our community.
CPS has come for our children, but we stand firm and united. We protect their freedom. We're with you, @sterlinuxan!
Yes! I really love your philosophy. Thanks so much for taking such excellent care of your children. You guys rock. I am glad we have similar stances, because our efforts together will help make these communities even stronger!
I upvote this post with no expectation for some upvote reward back.
That is a wonderful way to use Steemit!
i just upvoted your post , please upvote mine im trying to attract the gaming community to steemit , and you might win the game key
https://steemit.com/steemit/@nabilov/giveaway-1-digital-game-the-game-is-a-surprise-main-story-the-real-story-behind-5-nights-at-freddys
Please make sure to actually read my post and respond, rather than automatically trying to rope me into checking out your post. We are trying to create community behaviors that involve caring about content and thinking deeply and intently about the material.
This is not a slight, just a suggestion. Thank you.
You are a gentleman and a scholar @sterlinluxan.