Schools kill creativity

This TED talk offers some interesting angles learning - probably a similar situation in most western countries.

Education

As a child I found school pretty pointless. It was all set up to teach us that we need to think about the collective and learn skills that we could use to build a society - one that had space for everyone who wanted to work for that idea. I got the point in the first few years and after that, it didn't seem like there was anything new to learn.

The exception was in language lessons. Here, we got to learn about how people in other parts of the world had different lifestyles and values, and we were even given the tool to go and explore it on our own. My parents took me travelling, and I learned to speak English largely on my trips to England. And I realised that Nordics are different because we can't give each other or our selves praise. If someone gave me even the smallest compliment, I felt awkward. Thankfully I got over that.

First time I was on a course in England I was surprised to find the trainer say 'well done' in the most natural way and prompted by very minor things. This is something I personally find very motivating for learning. Whenever you try something for the first time you should be told what you did well, rather than what you need to improve. You know you need to improve because you are new at it. A little pat on the back gives you hope because you know that you are off to a good start.

In this week, the a-level (lign. Studentereksamen) results came out in England. It happens every year and every year it is news. They like to interview A-students and talk about what they want to use their clever brains for. I could not imagine a news story like this on Danish telly.

The interview I saw yesterday was with two students who had gotten really good grades but couldn't get into their preferred course of study. They both chose to take time out and try again next year. I recalled when I applied for Uni in Denmark. I filled in a sheet that went to the central allocation institution and I had to rank from 1-3 of what I wanted to study. I got my first priority but had been equally happy with number two or three.

Anglo-American Psyche

I recognise many of the things she says in English people and many other Europeans for that matter. It is the other extreme that stands opposite to the Nordic concept of "Janteloven" which I will post about soon. In the meantime, enjoy the video:

The art of listening

The video below captures some thoughts I have had and addresses a common problem in noisy societies.

I remember visiting London in January 2006 and remarking that this was a very noisy place. It wasn't a criticism. When I returned to Lancester, I found the countryside much too quiet for my taste.

You get used to the noise but it does make you less patient in terms of listening to other people. The video gives you some tips on how to improve your listening in order to improve communication and understanding between you and your fellows. It is worth listening to ;-)

When Democracy in the Nordics was Attacked

I saw on the news that a bomb had gone off in Oslo. Oh no, I thought, more stupid people who can't treasure the freedom they have in a democratic society. I didn't even care who it was and still don't, because how can any sane political motive be so against the Nordic democratic model? A model that lets you speak and think as you like.
Even when statements are offensive to other groups in society, the attitude is that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me." Growing up in a society like this, I learned to ignore the words that lay behind such violent actions. Words can't hurt me because I choose whether or not to listen.

And when Norway was struck by terror, I chose to listen to the victims. People who fled for their lives, people who died for others to live and all the people who helped them and still are supporting them. I listened to the great leaders of Norway, the King and the Prime Minister.
And I read articles about how amazed Americans were not to find that blood thirst but compassion was the predominant reaction amongst the Norwegians. For example this one from the Atlantic Wire: Comparing How Norway and the U.S. Respond to Terror

In this article, Fredrik Erixon, the director of the European Center for International Political Economy in Brussels, isn't sure the mood will last. "The fantastic show of support for open society and the values of democracy will inevitably fade away and be overshadowed by suspicion of the unknown" or anti-immigrant sentiment, he tells Bloomberg.
I don't agree with this. It hasn't been acceptable to be "scared of the unknown" in the Nordics since the 70ies. Nordic children are brought up to put a name on their fears in order to learn how to address it better.

This doesn't mean that there is no hostility against immigrants - far from it. But people know what they don't like and where the conflicts lie.
The problem for the Nordics is that the model of society builds on assumptions of a family consisting two working parents and 2-3 children, people that take part in the debate and go to vote with a sense of duty, people that learn a couple of extra languages to talk to people in other countries. And it is hard for the Nordics in general to accept when people don't conform to these ideals.

Ironically, in trying to defend the societies as they are, the Nordics run the risk of undermining the values on which they rest.