Week Eight Journal Entry

I found that among this week’s readings there were consequential overtones of the social structure of governments and societies. I remain convinced that most of the related social problems that governments are desperately trying to resolve would best be served by better education and personal responsibility. What I mean by better education is that much of our problems in society have their roots in money. I can recall a time when I was talking to my financial broker (who is also a personal friend) and he asked me a very striking question. To paraphrase he said something similar to this, “Why don’t elementary, or secondary education schools teach basic personal finances? And why is it that many parents rarely teach their children these same principles other than how to balance a check book (which is a task that is becoming a rarity in itself)?

I also believe that basic education should also include more extensive activities which involve the students in social activities and organizations. Our children will improve their learning in how to effectively deal with social situations to include small group negotiation. I also think that a major issue facing our society and culture is that there is an increasing lack in speaking and communication skills. When our children isolate themselves to their computers or video games they lose out on opportunities to refine their social skills.

We have many challenges facing our society and I sometimes worry that our reliance on technology may actually have a depressing effect on our human intelligence. Of course, humans may develop a greater sense of analytical or technological intelligence, but the cost of this heightened sense of knowledge will be a decrease in the importance of human social interaction. Without these necessary skills, we may discover that the only way to effectively interact in society will be with aided medication – if you want an example of how this is already becoming a trend look at the increase in prescriptions for Ritalin for our children. Our society might end up emulating Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World” in which most of the people of their world were dependent on their “soma” to get through their days.