Bertrand Russell’s ten laws of teaching

This list was shared via email by my Dad today:

Bertrand Russell’s ten laws of teaching

Bertrand Russell in 1938; Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
  1. Do not feel absolutely certain of anything.
  2. Do not think it worthwhile to proceed by concealing evidence, for the evidence is sure to come to light.
  3. Never try to discourage thinking for you are sure to succeed.
  4. When you meet with opposition, even if it should be from your husband or your children, endeavor to overcome it by argument and not by authority, for a victory dependent upon authority is unreal and illusory.
  5. Have no respect for the authority of others, for there are always contrary authorities to be found.
  6. Do not use power to suppress opinions you think pernicious, for if you do the opinions will suppress you.
  7. Do not fear to be eccentric in opinion, for every opinion now accepted was once eccentric.
  8. Find more pleasure in intelligent dissent than in passive agreement, for, if you value intelligence as you should, the former implies a deeper agreement than the latter.
  9. Be scrupulously truthful, even if the truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.
  10. Do not feel envious of the happiness of those who live in a fool’s paradise, for only a fool will think that it is happiness.

About Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell was a Nobel prize-winning, British, anti-war, analytical philosopher who lived from 1872 to 1970. Russell argued for a “scientific society”, where war would be abolished, population growth limited, and prosperity shared.  Read more at wikipedia.

Manifesto: Keep Wonder Alive, Join me and make the #idontknow Commitment

Click Image for Download page

In the spirit of changing myself for the better (and becoming a better father to my daughter), I wrote
a short manifesto.

http://cono.rs/idontknow

In the next 10 years through to 2024, 1 Billion jobs will be taken over by machines. Google cars will replace taxis. IBM’s Watson will replace customer service staff. We cannot out-reason the machines.

We must change the way we teach, the way we parent and the role of “I don’t know” in our society.

I ask for your help. I will ask for your commitment not to say “I know”, when you don’t. I will ask you to use “I don’t know” more. Let’s let our connected intuition have the space it needs to work as it was originally designed.

Get the full manifesto here:  http://cono.rs/idontknow

Exit mobile version
%%footer%%