School vs. progress

“Will this be on the test?” is a question invented by industrialists. It’s the cornerstone of traditional schooling at scale, because it is such an effective way to indoctrinate kids to become cogs in the system.

And it’s almost an accident that we manage to make progress, because we’ve spent so much time encouraging citizens to maintain the status quo:

Follow vs. lead

Copy vs. innovate

Authority vs. responsibility

Compete vs. cooperate

Comply vs. invent

Answer vs. ask

Correct vs. possible

Fast-growing organizations and bold leaders want to hire people who have the second skill in the table above. And yet we’re working overtime to encourage the first.

What’s on your transcript?