Ideas Up for Grabs
The Most Important Textbook
In today's schools students have to learn just about everything. As
if they wanted to be top scientists, industrial engineers, hardware
and software experts, managers, politicians, astronauts. But in this
bounty of knowledge the most important attitudes and skills seem to
be lost.
What if every young person were required to read a textbook which
would give a solid basis for adult life, and which would help them
become responsible citizens, compassionate friends, reliable
coworkers, business partners -- and smart individuals?
What would such a supertextbook contain?
It should describe the rules of the real world, should explain the
relationships among and between people (in the U.S. this is being
done relatively well by sociology textbooks and popular social
psychology books). It should describe the basic rules of effective
and successful behavior in the family, in school, in society, in
business. It should demonstrate how people can be misled by
politicians (local and national) and by the media. It should point
out the patterns of manipulation, from the national elections down to
TV commercials. It should show how one can express oneself without
hurting other's feelings. It should discuss the patterns which pull
people into a fight. It should identify the sources of hatred and the
patterns of mob actions. It should address racism, xenophobia, it
should discuss how rumor develops and hurts innocent people. It
should discuss consumer behavior, fashions and advertisement. It
should point out how individuals can defend themselves from things
which work against their interest.
This textbook should also teach young people about love, sex and
family, about conflicts between partners and how they can solve them,
how to prevent unwanted pregnancy and how to prepare for parenthood.
What conflicts might develop between generations and what could lead
to mutual respect understanding. It should speak about illnesses,
health risks, different lifestyles, about smoking, alcohol and other
drugs, the importance of physical activities, for the balance of body
and mind.
Can all this be squeezed into one single book? I believe it can. It
depends on how detailed the treatment is to be. My opinion is that
the focus should be on awareness and on the available resources (such
as government agencies, educational facilities, libraries, Internet
resources).
This textbook could also be a reference book for years, like The
Bible used to be: you should own one and keep it in reaching
distance, but you don't need to read it continuously. It would also
be like a manual of problems and problem solving. Are you frustrated,
disappointed? Something did not work the way you had expected? Read
your book. Are you hurt? Do you feel you did something wrong? You
don't understand something others did? Check your book, it may have
the answer.
Someone should write this book.
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