It is often evident in the musings of the ancient scholars that even the greatest of thinkers were taught by another great thinker. What separates one great man from another? I would say that the student becomes great when they begin to critically analyze the view of their teacher. Teachers who prove to be resistant to analysis similarly prove to be terrible teachers, unperceptive of opposition and stubbornly ignorant in beliefs. It is the teacher who teaches in that way that causes teaching to become an instrument of manipulation.
Recently, the very shift of the student becoming the teacher has become apparent to me. My teachers are hardly smarter than I. What is intelligence? Is it measured by the ability to learn or by the will to learn? Is it measured by how much knowledge one can pull out of their mind on command? I have merely yet to learn what they have learned and to be taught what they were taught.
Moreover, people around me are flawed; I can no longer deny my ability to see illogical arguments and foolish behavioral patterns. Viewing things through the cold eyes of a machine, I have simply learned of the art of society and the art of reasoning, enabling me to perceive idiotic practices.
There have been many times where I have felt as though my arguments have gone against deaf ears. Simply stated, they cared not for my opinions, my thoughts. It became apparent that they did not wish to see me learning, but to see me manipulated, as if I were a play thing in the arms of a toddler. I did not wish to associate myself with such a teacher.
There are those who would argue discontentment with authorities is wrong. I would defy such a thinker to the ends of the earth. What is authority in this land of freedom? Do I have no choice as to whom I respect and whom I do not? Is not fear and discipline merely another instrument of manipulation? In this way, I do not allow myself to become influenced by the ideology of a buffoon with only empty words to guide his shallow thinking. I would also argue our laws have been made just to the best of our abilities and oppression of any kind has been eliminated entirely. I respect authorities merely because God, for whatever unknowable reason, has established them as such. For no other reason do I "owe respect" to anyone who has opinions I do not care for. If I am only some wicked creature that needs to be manipulated into becoming better, I would rather be wicked. I would rather forsake authorities who do not think openly than sacrifice my own thoughts to an illogical argument. In this way, I have grown to be just as great as all my teachers. I lack nothing that they have but the resources they have learned from.
I will no longer be manipulated by teachers who do not care for my higher learning but would rather seek me to be manipulated into believing what they believe for the sake of believing what they believe. I wish the same for you. Find good teachers. Learn from them all that you can. Evaluate their beliefs and criticize their flaws. Only then will they become better. Only then will you become better. Only then will you what a teacher truly is.
Sincerely Yours,
~The Emotional Automaton
