The university system

In 1991, disillusioned with the lies and superficiality of advertising, I began to immerse myself in philosophical texts. I decided to formalise my study if possible by going to university. I gained a place at Durham university, and naively imagined a seat of learning, full of the more discerning, sensitive and intelligent individuals from society. I looked forward to going.

Life often seems to be a series of rude awakenings, and once at Durham I began to realise that the typical student was a spoilt, immature, hostile, superficial, insecure, arrogant, self-centred and unreflective individual with a love of sport and no particular interest in learning. Why was this, I wondered. How could it be?

It is because university is simply part of the system, part of the establishment, and part of a vicious circle. People who have been to universities and now have boring faceless jobs, go on to hire other people who have been to universities and stream them into boring faceless jobs too. And in order to get to the universities people do not have to be intelligent in a wide sense, they simply have to be able - and willing - to play a particular game (the exam game). Those of us who respect truth and freedom have a natural aversion to this fabricated game.

It helps in playing the game to go to a private school, where you are taught the rules of the game and how to succeed at it. The rules of the game have nothing to do with a love of the given subject, or often even an ability in it. Those who play the game best are usually those who follow rules best, and who feel not the slightest discomfort with fitting into the system - not the true mavericks and geniuses of this world, who often fail at formalised study. When it came to my own exams, by far the hardest part was accepting the game. Overcoming my dislike for it. For me, formalised learning kills a subject - be it literature, philosophy or programming. And I know there are others like me.

There were a number of intelligent (I mean wise) individuals at Durham, but they were vastly out-numbered. Being able to play games and do puzzles does not constitute real intelligence, depth or virtue, and certainly does not constitute wisdom. Indeed it does not even guarantee the person knows more about the given subject than might somebody else who has been inspired to self-study (I would always employ this person first). Therefore employers should never automatically judge people who have been to university as superior to people those who have not.