An excellent article on education

The Disadvantages of an Elite Education by William Deresiewicz is from the summer issue of The American Scholar, and although I've already seen it quoted several places, most of the citations emphasize the first paragraph, in which the Ivy-League-educated author realizes that he can't hold a conversation with his plumber.  But the really meaty content is weighted towards the end of the article.  I positively beg you, if you are interested in education, to print the entire article out and go read it in a quiet corner somewhere. It's the best explanation I've ever seen of why Ivy League universities can't offer a deep education.  While I don't share an interest in the particular examples of genuine thought that Deresiewicz gives, I absolutely agree with his description of how a curious mind should work and what it should feel like to think. He links education with genuine friendship, with solitude and with leisure, and explains in realistic and pragmatic detail just how Ivy League students are hobbled in pursuit of these qualities.  

Is the article accurate?  Let's hope some of the characteristics that Deresiewicz is describing are simply his own reaction to his education.  I don't know first hand, as I went to a state school.  But having lived in Manhattan for the past ten years, I can see how he got the idea, and think that, in a general way, it's accurate.  It's not that self-satisfied people go to Ivy-League schools.  Most of the Ivy-Leaguers with whom I am acquainted are kind, socially conscientious, and of course, incredibly smart.  It's more that the preparation that leads to the Ivies, the college years themselves, and the life expected of a graduate, all emphasize competition and achievement, and competition and achievement simply aren't conducive to thought.

Oh, and by the way, I have some links over to the right in the form of shared items and Delicious bookmarks.  While my posts are often more daily fare, I try to make sure most of the bookmarks are articles that interest me more because they're thought provoking.  Often they are about education or some other cultural issue. So, if you like that kind of thing, check them out.  I just thought I'd mention it because I can't get the Delicious gadget with tags to load, so you can't see what the topics are unless you click on the link.