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Useless Knowledge Begets New Horizons

Aspects of education tie to political outlook and sentiment as well. I read of a recent study that showed students choosing a vocational program, as opposed to an academic, became relatively more conscientiousness. It has long been known that education correlates with openness, and considering that openness is one of the better personality predictors for liberalness. As well, the converse predicts conservatism, as does conscientiousness predict a conservative lean. One can see that the concrete agenda pushed by conservatives can tilt the playing field of the populace. Yes, there is a little bit of o correlation-causation circularity, but one can examine the value of curiosity, of openness, and see that much can be gained from exploring the unknown, and even the frivolous. Learning the practical is not likely to yield greater human growth, but more likely to lead us down the road to a kind of intellectual and economic serfdom, where knowledge only matters if it makes money. There are values to social science, literature, history, and art to improve both our lives and work, to provide us perceptions outside of our norm, and as the world gets more technical, it seems ever more to need an expansive view, rather than a purely technical or concrete one.

 https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/opinion/new-horizons-ultima-thule-mission.html?comments#permid=29978704

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