Dear Friends,
It seems to me, if Bonhoeffer is right and stupidity is more damaging than malevolence, then it would only make sense to teach kids in school, not to be stupid. First of all, what does he mean by stupid? Bonhoeffer said stupid people do stupid actions. A stupid action is something that harms both the actor and the public. Stopping in an intersection to look at a map and getting in an accident for example. Stupid actions always have a component of a lack of empathy. Not in feeling but perspective. Stupid people don’t do stupid things, to be mean, but because they don’t know any better. Since stupidity is based on ignorance then, it can be rectified, in all but the most innately stupid. So, it only makes sense to teach children how to see things from other people’s perspective, teach empathic perspective.
Education is probably the most important and blessed thing that can be done. It is a deep and profound responsibility. Other people’s lives rest on the quality of that education. To take it lightly or use it to lower the life outcomes of the students, to facilitate some other agenda, is pure evil. Not only the personal life outcomes of the kids hang in the balance but the future of our society, culture and species as well. Those kids will be the next leaders, lone wolves and followers, because humanity is a reflection of us. Poorly educated, angry and resentful people cast a dark reflection, while well educated, fulfilled and thankful people cast a brilliant reflection. Education should build children into smart, independent and resourceful individuals… not blind manipulable workers.
Teaching empathic perspective must protect the child’s self esteem. Those who would teach a child he or she is innately evil, because someone who looked like them did a bad thing a few centuries ago, is counter productive. It is transferring original sin from, the race, to a race. Such training will only harden resentment, mutating into hate in the hearts of the kids, once grown. Creating a generation of problems. Education must only give positive lessons, else it is not education, it is something else, something dark. Instead of teaching empathic perspective, inculcating shame based on race, ethnicity or religion closes the door to empathy, opening the door to the idea all relations are a power dynamic. Once everything is about power, there is no need for empathy, or perspective.
Perhaps a good lesson might be to have the kids watch a short video with no names, only letters denoting the actors and actresses. Then have the children write one paragraph about the perspective of each character in the play. Person A was angry because… For example. Each try opening up a child’s empathic perspective. The next thing that needs to be instilled is situational awareness. Teach kids to be aware of what is going on around them. How would this stop people from being stupid? Because to be stupid one has to lack empathy, perspective and awareness. Empathic perspective would give awareness of what others are seeing without having to be in their shoes. If someone is aware of the perspective of others, they are less likely to do stupid things that get people hurt.
If the number of stupid acts could be lowered by even a fraction, and if Bonhoeffer was right, that stupidity is the most destructive thing we do, then the benefit to mankind would be enormous. By every metric our lives would be better. Empathic perspective would be easy to teach. Inculcating situational awareness could be openly stated as a goal of physical education. These two things alone could dramatically lower the number of stupid people out there. It must never be used to denigrate a child though. Such teaching is counter productive. Education is one of our most important responsibilities. It must be used to elevate the student and make their lives better by improving their life outcomes. Since stupidity is such a hindrance to humanity, isn’t it time to teach it away?
Sincerely,
John Pepin
