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The Illusion of Education
The chapter explores the limitations and falsity of our education system, highlighting the dangers of mistaking a degree for real learning. It discusses the impact of education on personal growth and the suppression of passion. The chapter also questions the value of the money and hoops spent on education.
I'm choosing to republish this episode that I had with David Whyte four years ago, because I had found myself revisiting his timeless book Consolations’ and rediscovering wisdom that felt appropriate for these times — which has remained within an arm's reach of my bedside ever since I first discovered it. It ratcheted open my mind to a new perspective on the definitions of words like Ambition, Courage and Heartbreak, that I thought I previously understood.
I’m not sure how to even begin to describe exactly what David does. On paper, he's an acclaimed poet, a writer, and a philosopher. But to my mind, after having spent a magical week with him on the Irish Atlantic coastline on one of his poetry walking tours, I feel like he's a true elder with a deep philosophical curiosity and gift for weaving together our inner and outer worlds in what he calls 'the conversational nature of reality’.
It’s a wide-ranging conversation, and towards the end, we cover some really interesting ground on the questions he believes we’re living our way into as a society and how childhood is the act of growing older whilst adulthood is the act of growing younger back into body back into our birthright visionary experience of the world.
Official Links
👋 Follow David on Twitter, Facebook or Youtube
📝 Read the full transcript (with my photos of Ireland) over on Medium
🚶♂️ Apply for one of David's upcoming walking tours in Ireland, the Lake District, Tuscany & New Zealand
👀 Watch David's TED Talk 'A lyrical bridge between past, present and future'
🖥️ Find out everything else David is up to at davidwhyte.com
Connect with Jonny
🐦 Follow on Twitter @jonnym1ller
💌 Subscribe to the Curious Humans Newsletter
🫁 Learn more about Nervous System Mastery
Episode Sponsors
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Further Ways to Support the Podcast:
🎙️ I use Riverside to record all of my podcast conversations (it's so much better than zoom for podcasting!)
🎧 I also use Transistor to host this podcast, it's fricking awesome, and I would highly recommend.
😎 RaOptics make the world's best Blue Blockers – I wear these anytime I'm out of the house after dark, and it makes a huge difference!
🤖 I use AI wizardry from Castmagic to help with each episode show-notes + timestamps
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Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode