I often wonder what our world would look like if, for over a century, we hadn’t entrusted our children’s minds to a system explicitly designed to stifle dissent and creativity. What if, instead, we had nurtured the boundless curiosity and genius inherent in every child?
In recent years, Covid has awakened Americans to a brutal reality: the public education system was never meant to foster innovation or independent thought. Instead, this 12-year mandatory structure was deliberately designed to dull the innate brilliance every child is born with, and prepare them for the monotonous grind of the workforce — without question.
The results? A society that has lost its creativity, ingenuity, and full potential.
Today, many parents are beyond questioning whether the system has failed their children; they are all too aware that it has. The question now is, where do we go from here?
Joining me in exploring this education revelation is Dr. Tom Cowan – a true renegade in the world of health and wellness, and someone unafraid to challenge the status quo long before it was trendy. If you're new to Dr. Cowan, he first blew my mind when he stated, "The heart is not a pump." (mic drop)
Most recently I fell in love with his book, Common Sense Child-Rearing for a Nourished Childhood. It’s a game-changer in childrearing and understanding.
THE PAPERCLIP REVELATION
Remember those innocent days of childhood, when a simple paperclip could transform into a spaceship, a lock pick, or a miniature work of art? Turns out, that's not just nostalgia talking. Back in 1968, a NASA experiment conducted by George Land and Beth Jarman, revealed that young children possess an astonishing capacity for creative problem-solving. But by the time a child has slogged through the education system and reached adulthood, that genius has been…well, educated out of them.
It’s known as the infamous paperclip study! It's a classic example of how our education system has been silently clipping the wings of our little geniuses.
These clever researchers took a test originally designed to measure the innovative potential of NASA engineers and scientists — essentially, the folks who faked the moon landing —and decided to use it on children.
Through the simple task of creating as many things as possible out of paper clips, they found that a whopping 98% of 5-year-olds scored at the 'Genius Level' of creativity.
Almost-every-single-kindergartener was a creative mastermind.
However, as these kids grew older, their genius-level creativity took a nosedive:
10-year-olds: 30%
15-year-olds: 12%
Adults: A measly 2%
Year after year, as children navigate the education system, their inherent creativity and genius are eroded. One can only imagine the cumulative loss of creation, ingenuity, and brilliance the world has been robbed of by this ruinous 'education' system.
LAYING IT OUT ON TED
Below is a George Land TED Talk in 2013 where he laid out the paperclip study and its societal implications. It's worth the watch and might just make you look at paperclips (and children) in a whole new light.
WHAT DO WE DO?
How do we reclaim our children's natural curiosity and foster a love of learning that isn't squashed by standardized tests and rigid curricula?
That's exactly what we dive into during our conversation.
We explore how conventional approach to schooling is doing more harm than good, and how to rebuild trust in the parent-child relationship. We discuss practical steps you can take to support your child's unique learning journey, no matter where they are on the educational spectrum.
And, because I can't help myself, we even touch on the often-overlooked impact of wireless radiation (EMFs) on our children.
Whether you are a parent, teacher, therapist, or concerned citizen, this will be extraordinarily eye-opening as well as inspiring.
You'll have to tune in to the full interview to find out how it all connects!
Stay curious, my friends.
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