Re: “Why I’m dropping out of school” (November 12)
Dear Editor,
I write this as a response to a previous letter to the editor by Phillip Niedzielski. If this article was written as some sort of tomfoolery, I heartily approve.
Still, though I can appreciate the angst of a fellow student, I’d have to say that university is a most enlightening experience. One can experience the joys of Machiavellian capitalism, along with the modern degradation of education. And I would never have known about these amazing phenomena without university to teach me.
As for society, it isn’t much of a flower. Society is more like a sadist who mortgages illusions for a living; once you run out of credit, it rips you out of your illusion, dumps you into a more depressing one, and tells you how it was all really your fault over a cup of tea.
Idiocy and clinical misdiagnosis are just small stains on society’s shirt.
It’s all good.
Sincerely,
Momina Dar
I would take you more seriously if you didn’t equate the flower with society when I wrote “flower of society”, so that in your interpretation it would read “society of society”. FAIL. What did this school teach you if you could not realize the flower of society is meant the very school you laud?
Otherwise thank you for defending my assertion of immoral practices at this school with your reference to Machiavellian Capitalism. But the real idiot is the one who willfully ignores the Public Good. Even Machiavelli would have found it expedient to at least pretend you care. The heads of two kings rolled in recent history, and there is no guarantee that tea will end in your society’s face. So side with who you like, but I prefer the Good.
Enjoy your cup of tea.
*WIll NOT end up… lol..
Metaphorically speaking, the “the flower of society” could directly mean that society is being referred to as a flower.
I apologize if I misconstrued the poetic image you were undoubtedly meaning to depict, but perhaps you should also consider the art of writing with clarity.
though I admit I am prone to making errors; the “flower of society” is what I meant, in case I wasn’t clear.
Ah, it’s always good to see some back-and-forth! :)
Clinical misdiagnosis is serious and certainly needs to be addressed and stopped, especially if it’s as systematic as Phillip claims (I plead ignorance here). Insofar as Phillip’s letter furthers that end, I like it. Unfortunately, it seemed like a kernel of truth buried in a magniloquent manifesto.
As for the proposed dropping out, I doubt it will send much of a message. If it’s to avoid being exposed to the practice, I can’t say whether that distance will work for or against the ability to see through society’s bullshit, but I’m sceptical. I for one think the only society the average person can affect is the company they keep, and so while I found Momina’s letter cynical, I also found it more realistic—and, incidentally, an easier read.
Disclaimer: There’s always the possibility that I misunderstand someone’s argument. :p
P.S. If feel like dropping out because you’re just plain fed up with the university and uninterested by what it can offer you, I fully sympathize. But being so close to end and whatever good a degree does confer, I don’t see the harm in finishing what you started.
Hi Luke, thank you for your input.
First of all, thank you for you opinion on my writing style. All I’m going to say is the “manifesto” is yet to come, and yes, I will make sure it’s written in a way that instructs, as well as moves.
Otherwise I want to make clear that I dropped out because this University is full of shit imo and I simply do not want a degree from this university. University for me has been a very interesting experienced and I’m thankful for it, but I intend to continue pursuing Philosophy on my own initiative and I don’t need the school to tell me what’s good and what’s not. Philosophy teachers bell-curve marks, everyone knows this, and just this is enough to shun UTM Philosophy for their very unphilosophical practices on principle.
I understand and appreciate your view that I ought to stick with it, but I simply cannot stick with what I’m doing when I am constantly bothered with things that concern me. When I say I’m in anxiety over the direction this school is taking, I really mean it. I just cannot focus on my work, plain and simple. My commitment has always been to learning and quite frankly, there is nothing this school can teach me about philosophy that I can’t learn myself. I am not going to stick with UTM because in the time I would be stressing about school I would be wasting time doing things more to my advantage. I like to think of Luke Sky Walker when he said “I am a Jedi” and think “I AM a philosopher”, and I just don’t need the university any more. I have committed myself to philosophy and I will stick with philosophy.
Thank you!
I’ve been telling this to people for a long time know and I may as well share it with you. I look down upon cynical people, and I especially don’t appreciate politicians bemoaning the cynicism of the youth. I am going to lead by example, and I’m going to do it Stoically.