Unlearning LO24351

From: Winfried Dressler (winfried.dressler@voith.de)
Date: 04/12/00


Replying to LO24298 --

>You say you are reading a book called "Honoring the self"...

Charles Krauthammer wrote in an essay in Time magazine:

"A standardized math test was given to 13-year-olds in six countries last
year. The Koreans came in first. Americans did the worst, coming in behind
Spain, Britain, Ireland and Canada. Now the bad news. Besides being shown
triangles and equations, the kids were shown the statement "I am good at
mathematics." Koreans came in last in this category. Only 23% answered
yes. Americans were no. 1, with an impressive 68% agreement.

American students may not know their math, but they have evidently
absorbed the lessons of the newly fashionable self-esteem curriculum
wherein kids are taught to feel good about themselves. Of course, it is
not just educagtors who are convinced that feeling good is the key to
success. TThe governor of Maryland recently announced the formation of a
task force on self-esteem, "a 23-member panel created on the theory,"
explains the Baltimore Sun, "That drug abuse, teen pregnancy, failure in
school and most other social ills can be reduced by making people feel
gook about themselves." Judging by the international math test, such task
force may be superfluous. Kids already feel exceedingly good about doing
bad."

Robert Fritz cited this piece in the chapter on the ideal-belief-reality
conflict in that part of his book Creating, in which he deals with modes
of thinking and perception as well as habits, which prevent us to get a
firm grip on current reality.

Liebe Gruesse,

Winfried

-- 

"Winfried Dressler" <winfried.dressler@voith.de>

[Host's Note: I personally recommend Robert Fritz' books. In assoc with Amazon.com...

Creating by Robert Fritz http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0449908011/learningorg

..Rick]

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