An Educator’s Response to Trump

Donald Trump is modernity’s version of Frankenstein’s monster, a beast that we shaped, fed, nurtured, and empowered, and now look upon aghast. Trump is an exaggerated caricature of the present condition of the human race, a hollow colossus fuelled by self-interest and toxic suspicion of the other. Trump is a success by the standards of our society: wealthy, powerful, significant, and efficient, yet his ascendancy to the position of President of the United States has shaken the world.

We question how this could have happened, how a man capable of explosive outbursts on social media and in public speeches is now Commander in Chief of the most powerful military force in history. We lament as to how a man with no diplomatic or political experience can sit in the White House, how one who has seemingly left a trail of destruction and discontent in his wake wherever he has gone is now the ‘leader of the free world’, and how openly racist, misogynistic, and downright crass comments have not obstructed his election.

Yet, deep down, Trump’s victory is not all that surprising. He is the ultimate example of inappropriate intent, and by focusing on the outcome at the expense of the process and achieving ‘success’ at all costs, Trump is but a manifestation of the prevalent worldview in this day and age: We are here to get, and to look after ourselves.

How did this worldview become so prevalent? It began with education. Long ago, institutional education ceased to be focused upon the development of morally grounded, intellectually gifted, and spiritually awakened human beings. Education transformed from the most glorious gift to the learner to a production line generating useful workers. The nucleus of the learning endeavour was no longer the person of the learner, but rather the product of the process, a being sufficiently conditioned to understand that material success is the ultimate goal, which can be measured by objective outcomes: First grades, then certificates, then qualifications, then profession, then social standing.

In my experience as an educator, the inherent desire that students have to learn, grow, and live well has not been entirely extinguished. Its residue remains as a respectable aside to the primary objective of higher education: A good job. Few (if any) learners attend universities to ‘find themselves’, and morality, ethics, and in particular intent have all but vanished from curricula, except where they are monitored and discussed as measurable entities in others, free of judgement or assessment of their truth value.

Educational institutions are so concerned with presenting information and encouraging ‘creativity’ (which are not inherently bad by any means) that they have entirely overlooked discussions regarding how to live. Undergraduate students are frequently encouraged to explore what they want to do with their lives, but rarely consider who they are going to be or the principles by which they are going to live. The ultimate objective of their course of study is to get an embossed piece of card, an outcome. And in most cases, at least once or twice, ‘shortcuts’ are taken in order to arrive at that end.

Society values ‘winners’, ‘achievers’, and ‘doers’, and takes but a cursory glance at the means by which the goal is reached. Major moral discrepancies and deeply corrupt practices can be overlooked as long as the ultimate objectives of life are achieved: material success and usefulness to the state. We have become quite proficient at producing good citizens, but severely struggle to create excellent human beings.

This is why the exploration of intent is so crucial at all stages of institutional education, from the early years to the postgraduate level. The importance of intellectual excellence and academic rigour should not be downplayed, yet our perception of the purpose of learning requires reformation. Learners must be introduced to the revolutionary idea that who they are and how they act is infinitely more significant than the outcomes they achieve in their lifetime. Institutions must value and encourage service and altruism at the expense of greed and self-interest, and inform learners that the universe is not a forum for acquisition, but an opportunity to give of themselves.

Ethics must be addressed, and learners must be made aware that a meaningful life consists of persistently doing the right thing, not that which is expedient or pragmatic. Principles for living must be explored, and learners should be encouraged to map out their inner development plan with the same zeal as they anticipate their career path. Educators must inform the young that the world is not a frightening, intimidating place, and that we do not need to be afraid of our neighbours or those who see the world differently to us. And above all, learners should be guided to shift their attention from the outcome of a task/course of study/life to the process of doing it well and nobly.

President Trump is a messenger, an indication of what we have become and how desperately we require a metaphysical shift. Transforming education, the intent behind it, and the inner-workings of the learners who emerge from it will influence the nature and character of our future leaders. To make sure this doesn’t happen again, can we start doing things differently?