video; Harry Potter and the Socratic Paradox

[thebreakingwave]

I've noticed a lot of people talking about what they can teach or what they want to learn and that got me thinking. I was pretty distracted in school and I don't really feel like I know what I should know, but at the same time, I don't really know what I don't know.

[Perhaps its telling that he still thinks of what he ought to learn in prescriptive measures that have to do with school-based learning.]

If that made any sense to you, I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me what you think the average person should know. Maybe skills I ought to have or books I should've read?

Comments

Video

[justdumbluck]

I think most of what you should know you wouldn't have learned in school anyway. Like how to defend yourself--pretty hard to learn in a place where you get in trouble for fightin'.

video;

[thebreakingwave]

I'm not too bad at that, but we took classes on it.

[You only get in trouble if you're caught fighting.]

[video]

[seered]

Something tells me that things the average person should know doesn't include what to do in the event of inter-dimensional kidnapping.

[thebreakingwave]

True enough. Still, I figure that we'll muddle through okay.

video;

[longestnose]

Well, young master, I think you're going to get a lot of different answers, from many different types of people.

[A beat, and a slight incline of his head.]

Though I suppose that's what you want.

[thebreakingwave]

That was the plan.

[Not much of a plan, but there you go.]

video

[intersection]

The average person? That's kind of... all about perspective, isn't it?

[thebreakingwave]

It is.

I don't think everyone will have the same answers; if they did, I'd only ask one person.

video.

[helpmeguideit]

Average person?

[ Smiles. ]

I'd say regardless of who you are -- knowing history is the most useful.

[thebreakingwave]

[Why is everyone so fixated on that one word?]

History is a pretty broad field.

[ video ]

[tailcrook]

Never went to school, but... knowing where I am and what's there is the most important thing to me. Or something - know your world.

[thebreakingwave]

Makes sense. Thanks!

video;

[glom]

[ why is no one asking the obvious question here... ]

How old are you?

[thebreakingwave]

Nineteen. Why?

video

[backwardscompatible]

That rather depends on which century's "average" you're aiming for.

[thebreakingwave]

Whichever appeals to you, I suppose. I didn't put a lot of, umm, restrictions on my question. I didn't want to leave anyone out.

Video

[twitterpate]

You're never going to use algebra in real life, kid.

[thebreakingwave]

I've never done it in school either.

Video

[servant]

Can you wash your own socks?

[thebreakingwave]

Yes! I can wash my socks and all the rest of my clothes. Cook, clean, mend, and garden.

[It's not something he'd learned at school, but having done all that for the Dursleys for years, he's a strong believer in being able to do your own darn housework.]

voice.

[nubilate]

Hi. I might be wrong to try and answer, but...

If you're from the Earth of the 90s, you might want to learn a thing or two about computers. It's not just practical here, but when you go home, you'll have a quality not many people have, yet, and it'll probably get a lot more important as you get older, assuming humanity stays its course. It could be really profitable for you.

But, I mean, I don't know anything about education, or much of anything about what your strengths are, or if your world has computers, so... I'm sorry if it's not a very useful suggestion.

[thebreakingwave]

I think we've got them. I've certainly heard of them, but the place I come from, they're not really fond of technology.

They think toasters are too advanced.

video; (WAH I MISSED THIS I hope this tag isn't too late)

[prince]

I don't know that I can tell you what the average person should know. And certainly it depends on what you want to do — a blacksmith has little need to learn about tending orchards. But a little self-defense and the philosophy of the epic poets never did anyone any particular harm. Well. Bar the person on the other end of the sword.

Never! :D

[thebreakingwave]

It's been a while since I used a sword, but I remember the basics.

[Summarily: the sharp end goes in the other guy.]

I don't really know anything about poets. Or philosophy, really. Who'd you like?

video;

[effusive]

With all the space craziness, it almost makes you miss school, right? I know I do.

[ because school was normal. and at least it distracted her from everything else happening around her. ]

[thebreakingwave]

A bit. My last year got a bit strange and I didn't get to finish, but before that, it was always a place to go home to.

[It was normal. For a certain definition of 'normal'.]

video;

[hawkethisnthat]

Well, what sorts of things did you learn in this school, perchance? After all, it's difficult to know what you missed out on unless we know what you didn't.

Not that I would be much help, I never went to school. Farmers from Lothering don't have much chance of that.

[thebreakingwave]

We learned magic. Practical skills, mostly. Hands-on, how-to stuff, and one history class, but I don't think anyone actually paid attention.

[Except Hermione and he's sure that even she didn't really enjoy it.]