Michael Laitman, On Quora: “What is the biggest problem of our current school system?“

The current school system has no objective to develop people into human beings, in the complete sense of the term.

In Hebrew, the word for “human” (“Adam”) comes from the word for “similar” (“Domeh”), and a human is considered one who becomes “similar to the most high” (“Domeh le Elyon”). In other words, becoming a human means attaining a state of similarity to the altruistic force of nature, which is higher and opposite to our egoistic inborn nature.

By learning how to become human in the fullest sense of the term, we then learn how to navigate ourselves in order to first not harm others, and then reach exalted states of positive connection above our divisive drives.

Then, instead of following the dictates of our inborn egoistic nature, which leads to a smorgasbord of negative phenomena throughout society—from increasing depression, anxiety, loneliness and stress through to rises in violence, racism, divorce and suicide, to name a few—we learn how to rise above our egoistic drives, which wish to self-benefit at the expense of others and nature, and discover how to become truly happy. We become truly happy when we know how to positively connect to each other in society, when we live in a thriving atmosphere of increasing consideration, responsibility and solidarity, and when values of giving to others, supporting, encouraging and generally connecting positively to each other fills our lives.

Therefore, the biggest problem of the current school system is that it has no objective to raise children to the fullest realization of their inner potential, which would result in a society that blossoms with happiness, confidence, support and encouragement.

We are thus faced with the fact that we need to restructure our education and upbringing, which includes the schooling system as well as everything that influences us with certain values, behaviors and examples in society. If we succeed in changing the education and upbringing of even one generation to guide people in reaching their fullest potential, then we would bear witness to a monumental transition to a new harmonious and peaceful world.

Based on KabTV’s “Close-Up. Generation” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman on August 24, 2009. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.
Photo by Ivan Aleksic on Unsplash.

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