Stay within the lines. The lines are our friends… or are they? There are times when parameters are strict and specific, and times when there is room for infinite interpretations within the confines of the rules. Are we teaching students to understand the difference?
Congratulations are in order for Scott Blumstein. He just won $8.15 million in prize money as the champion of The World Series of Poker that was just held in Las Vegas. Scott is not a former student of mine, but he did graduate from Morristown High School, where I teach.
History’s great figures have mostly been mindful of hubris and have exhibited a form of humility and balance in spite of their confidence or swagger. But today, like professional wrestlers posturing in front of the camera, people strut like peacocks, in spite of their lack of capacity or ability, without humility or shame, brandishing their empty wares and empty promises.
If we are blind to the origin of institutions and the times they were intended to serve, then we can’t see how unsuited those institutions are for our own time. We become blind to the possibilities and accept establishments without any thought toward refreshing and enlightened alternatives.
