Do schools kill creativity?

Why don't we get the best out of people? Sir Ken Robinson argues that it's because we've been educated to become good workers, rather than creative thinkers. Students with restless minds and bodies -- far from being cultivated for their energy and curiosity -- are ignored or even stigmatized, with terrible consequences. "We are educating people out of their creativity," Robinson says. Watch the talk on creativity in TED Talks:



You can also visit the site to check out details on the talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/view/id/66

The Fisherman Story

One of my favorite stories – you might have read it before...

There was this city banker who was on a holiday near the beach. Though this place was far from the city, it was a very good fishing village and a unpsoiled beach. He saw a group of fisherman enjoying the sunset, drinking and singing. He thought that they must have got a good catch today and celebrating. He went near them and asked one of the fisherman, how the fishing is going on. One of the elder fisherman said its going good. The banker as usual started asking some question to know the nature of business.

He asked the elder fisherman, how many boats he has. Fisherman said, he has a small boat and he goes to the sea in that with his son. The banker said, I can arrange you loan from the bank and you can buy five large boats. The fisherman asked then what.. banker said, you can keep some people and go far into the sea and catch more fish. You can supply the fish to the city and make millions. The fisherman asked, this banker "What you will do if you have million dollar?" The banker said: "I will buy a house near the beach and drink and live happily." The fisherman said, don't you see thats what I am doing now.

Again, this idea might seem so basic that it doesn’t need repeating. And yet it is resisted by many people as a knee-jerk reaction. A basic level of material resources are needed, yes. But beyond that, it really makes no difference. So why do we resist it or even feel the urge to attack such a statement? What does it challenge inside us? If one honestly tries to answer these questions, the answers can be revealing.

Thanks...

Certainty and Uncertainty

There are two facts of life: Certainty and Uncertainty. What we are doing now is certain. I am travelling now in a train, it is certain. I know that this train is going to my destination. However, I don’t know, if I will reach there or not. Anything can happen on my way to the destination. This is uncertainty. Though I can’t do anything about it, I will have to work for it.
Our life is a constant struggle between certain and uncertain events. Present or now is certain and future or coming moment is uncertain. All of us need to know how to balance between these two. Some people say, live in present and not in past or future. Though past is gone and we can’t do anything about it; future will become present in next moment and present will become past. We can’t escape all three. If I don’t do any work I may live for today or tomorrow with out any food. However, can I live with out doing something for day after tomorrow? I may not survive to live it. We need to understand that, what we are doing today will have implications tomorrow. So we are told to live in present or in other words, give our heart and soul to today. We have to live spiritually for today and materially for tomorrow. We all have certain responsibility for our body and our immediate surrounding (family, society) and we need to survive and work for it. However, our spirituality is only ours and no one can take it or work for it. Each human being needs to srtive towards his/her goal in life and work for it. One can remain happy if there is a proper balance with consciousness between certainty and uncertainty. This is one of the biggest challenge of mankind.