My Brilliant Response to Rosie's "Ethnography and Composition"

I MUST take the time to reinforce how pleased I am that someone (and I have a feeling most) shares a recognition of just how detrimental college can be to an intelligent and intellectual mind. First of all, higher learning institutions are simply structural metaphors of control in our society. The simulacra of academia simply does not reflect 90% of real life. To take it back to the allegory of the cave, we go into the classroom (cave) and are taught (shadows on the wall) by a professor (mediator) who simply stands between the hungry mind and the subject matter, whether it be a book etc. We strive to become elites in our fields to add another zero to our paychecks, to comfortably rise over the “starving college kid” stigma financially, and begin raising a family. This family is in turn taught to “stay in school!” and become the most knowledgeable people they possibly can. What I fear the danger is in this cycle is that Colleges will become increasingly packed with students with professors looking to implant their biases into vulnerable minds to make a grade, rather than discussing possible catalyzations of human self-development toward being a free thinking individual. I find it increasingly difficult with each passing year/quarter/week to simply cooperate and graduate. Yet do not assume that I am implying weakness in the individual who embraces this standpoint, quite contrary, I recognize and appreciate the advanced state of self-awareness the individual must embrace and exemplify to break such mind numbing agents of social control, and finish the job with pure self-interest.