[Edu-sig] real advice to a real student (comments welcome)

[David Handy]

On Friday, January 16, 2015 10:47pm, "kirby urner" <kirby.urner at gmail.com> said:
> On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM, Laura Creighton <lac at openend.se> wrote:
> 
>> Can you suggest your student watch this video?
>> http://www.thersa.org/events/rsaanimate/animate/rsa-animate-drive
>>
>> It is Dan Pink's _The Surprising Truth About what Motivates Us_
>>
>> After he or she has done so, I have this added bit.
>>
>>
> A very worthwhile read.  I have continued corresponding with this student
> and will share a link to this post.
> 
> What's interesting in the cartoon / animation is where we start seeing
> shafts of light and here people just wanna be good (at something).
> 
> That looks a lot like the religion model i.e. religion better answers these
> needs than businesses.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who noticed that. As soon as the video started talking about trained professionals working 20-30 hours a week outside of their jobs, without pay, for a purpose, it reminded me of all my friends who are lay leaders in my church. These people are engineers, doctors, lawyers, pharmaceutical researchers, etc. and they put in 20+ hours per week in free service to others. Something powerful is motivating them.

> 
> But then immediately we have to ask:  what's the difference (between
> religion and business -- both involve branding for example).
> 
> In a way it's just our mental categories that get in the way.  "We"
> (amorphous we) approach the world with messy namespaces.

We are all human beings with a lot in common.

> 
> As I posted to a physics list recently:
> 
> "The best religions are yet to come."
>>
>>
>> This saying pisses everyone off because:
>>
>> (a) half the people sing "Imagine there's no religion" and imagine they
>> know what they mean by that

Thank you Kirby for having the courage to bring up the "R" word in this space, not as a curse word nor as an insult. I'm getting a bit tired of "that's a religious argument" being used as the ultimate put-down, meaning "that's an irrational argument". It gets old.

>>
>> and
>>
>> (b) the other half can't imagine "new religions" in the pipeline, still
>> set to make their debut...

As a committed Christian I am not offended by people who express religious beliefs different from mine, even if they are "new religions". Rather, I tend to empathize with, and understand, people who are sincere.

>>
>> ... but I assure you're they're there.
>>
>> A lot of religions come with excellent science.  Belief in God?  Not
>> always a feature.

A lot of great scientists (Newton, Mendel, Kelvin, etc.) were religious.
Several of my friends in church are working scientists.
Religion is not synonymous with irrationality.

>>
> 
> 
> Kirby
> @npym_it
> @thekirbster
> @psf_snake
> 
> 
> Python:   Just Use It.
> 


David H