Cynical

My grandfather, as I'm sure some of you have heard before, saw four phases in human life. These can be listed briefly as

• innocent idealism: as of a child


• ignorant cynicism: as of an adolescent


• knowledgeable cynicism: as of an adult


• enlightened idealism: as of an adult adult

Here, the adjectives used are not meant to be either complimentary or pejorative. Rather, they describe the literal state of mind: 'innocent' literally means 'without poison, toxin or venom'; 'ignorant' means 'lacking knowledge'; 'knowledgeable' means 'possessing useful information'; 'enlightened' means 'enhanced by the light of knowledge'.

However, regression is possible. It is possible, for example, for an otherwise fairly enlightened and idealistic man to write something like this:

=====

Education : A Cynical Science

Enclosed and numbered
Beasts in cages
They crouch awaiting the bell
The next lesson
The next trainer

This is our challenge:
Break their spirit
Teach them to perform instead
Make them unlearn
And learn again

Agile and restless
Their minds, their limbs
Undisciplined and incorrect
Train them fiercely
Work them harder

Elegant hunter
Now herd grazer
Where natural fire burnt
The light is quenched
The eyes are dull

Success now measured
Numbers written
Release the broken, see in them
A discipline
Now set in stone

=====

I don't believe educators ought to be this cynical though. We don't have to demolish our idealism just because some people say we are 'too idealistic'. That phrase alone is somewhat silly, perhaps oxymoronic; how can anyone be 'too idealistic' since idealism by its nature deals with extremes? It is always possible to be 'not idealistic enough', but oddly, it shouldn't be possible to be 'too idealistic'. In the 'real world' however, where 'idealism' is used as shorthand for 'extremism' or even 'terrorism', it might be true.

But for all you Bible-thumping types out there: what if I were to say, "You are too Christian!" bearing in mind that Christlikeness is one of your ideals? Is it possible to be 'too Christian'? Likewise, idealism.