The Education and Development of the Human Species

We are all limited in the amount of time that we get on this planet. If we're lucky, we make it about 100 years.

But lifespan is not congruent with our intellectual capabilities. We all go at our own pace but by and large, you can discount the first 17 years of childhood, and the last 20 years of a person's natural life after age 70 due to age and other health factors. Speaking from experience, I would say that my intellectual capacity peaked at 31 or 32. I'm not yet clear on how long I could continue to think of myself as a "thinker" or "intellectual" of any consequence.

So let's assume that as adults, with education and experience of some kind behind us, we have 20-30 years of good intellectual bandwidth on average.

What that means for the human species in a larger context is that we have few years to learn what those before us have discovered and imparted, and limited time to process, and expand on that knowledge. Our progress as a species has been historically slow. At times it has been at a downright standstill which likely speaks to Maslow's hierarchy of needs and the crises of certain eras. There are two periods that illuminate that more than others- in Europs the "Dark Ages" as juxtiposed with the "Renaissance". Those two concepts are entirely centered on the idea that for a long period of time there was no real human development, followed by an explosion of intellectual and creative developments. The Industrial Revolution is something that is discussed in a historical context, however I would argue that we are still very much in the confines of what will be later thought of as the Industrial Revolution on the whole.

If we want to keep moving forward, less the slow-downs and screetching halts on human progress, how do we do that? Well, this is what I'm thinking about today and I've got a few ideas.

1. Revolutionize early education- as I stated first, there are a select few years that children are tasked with learning the backstory of the human race and all of our developments. Public schools are supposed to impart students with a well-rounded understanding of the world as it is today, and why in a historical context. But who creates that curriculum? And why have we accepted that the courses that we likely have all been through since school was mandated in the late 19th century (if you're American) are truly the most impactful for our young people? Government is notoriously slow, and often catching up with the changes in technology and culture within a society, so we can bet that our children are coming out of a standard education without the tools that they need to push society forward.

2. De-profit higher education- once our children are out of school and have the option to go on to higher learning, what they experience is the first instance of being part of the economic machine. Young adults are encouraged to find their major course of study with little to no guidance, and often no concept of how their choices might impact their intellectual or economic future. Economics, of course, is important if you want to stay ahead of Maslow's hierarchy to maintain the ability to think freely and innovate.

3. Business leaders should engage with and encourage free thinkers- many companies have "tuition reimbursement" programs, but few actively mandate or encourage their employees to keep learning in any capacity. One example of a profession that does this is Attorneys- they are required to complete a certain number of CLE hours each year to stay up-to-date with developments in their field. There is much more room for this in the professional world, and unfortunately, executive egos often get in the way of forward-thinking employees' ability to share their ideas and speak their minds.

Those are just a few thoughts. The internet and the ability to access information at any moment is surely a boon to the development and retention of information in our society. We have more ability than every before to understand and build on the knowledge of our ancestors, which is encouraging.