Metaphysical dojos

This is a rough overview of various institutions that offer themselves as ways to learn what you need to get along in this world.

What they tend not to offer, is Mind Fu. That is, a system that enables you, the individual, to avoid the manipulations of others and truly think for yourself.

Public Schools.
I consider most American public schools to be absolutely terrible for kids. Especially in terms of teaching kids to actually grow up knowing how to think for themselves and make up their own minds.

Some valid argument has been made that the purpose of schools is actually not to teach kids - it's to tame them for the workforce, and give them just enough skills to be productive. Kind of a dark view, but the period in which public schooling came about - the Industrial Revolution - lends some credence to this. As does the fact that schooling kids also happens to keep them out of the workforce until a certain age.

That said, others from overseas have told me how American schools are much better at teaching individual thought than European ones. And I do think, even with the unfortunate effect of dulling kids' curiosity, the poor still do need schools. They can't depend on their parents to teach them the skills they *will* need in order to find work and prosper.

And another positive of public schools is the other students, and the uncontrolled randomness and chaos that they can introduce to each other's social spheres, minds and thought processes. This can be rough, but it can also be rough in a healthy way. We want our kids to do well in the world - often public school can offer a microscopic example to learn in and teach from.

Private Schools
My small amount of experience with private schools has led me to think that, as they are training the children of the upper classes, they offer better training in mental self-defense than public schools.

The downside is that they can tend to offer a classist ideology with a social Darwinist component, that feeds into the Upper Class ideology that they really are better than the Middle and Lower classes - it's just impolite to say so.

They tend to avoid any sort of discussion, and thus any sort of defense, in this area - which a lot of other assumptions are then built strongly upon.

College
Nearly all colleges, even specifically schools of philosophy, don't offer a curriculum in metaphysical *health* - what can be healthy ways of looking at the world. They offer a range of directions for occupation, or of exploration of knowledge for it's own sake.

This is good exercise, but not necessarily anything to develop as a way of life.

That said, colleges also do have within them some of the best mental defense-systems training possible. Specifically logic. Which, when we as humans can use it, can enable us to resist the attacks of salesmen, politicians, and others - regardless of how much smarter they may be.

It is important that this logic be exercised at the teachers - some of whom, both intentionally and unintentionally, are interested in pulling students off balance into the way they "should" believe.

This can occur with both liberals and conservatives, the religious and the secular, the "independent" Libertarian *and* the agnostic as well.

Churches.
My personal experience with churches, all Christian, is that they offer one single answer: God. This is generally not inviting people to find their own answers, or even know what their own questions re.

This can be **extremely** dangerous, not just for the individual but for society. If people don't exercise their belief systems and minds, and learn their own mental self-defense or even flexibility - then these people are then easily pulled off balance by people who know how to plug into the Church mindset.

This does not mean that church doesn't have other value. It can be a great comfort, I am sure, and offer guidance in other ways. But I would not recommend a church as a way for someone to learn to think for themselves - which is necessary in order for people to know how to mentally defend themselves.

I have found a Hindu temple to be about the same, although less rigorous - perhaps because of having multiple deities. Suffice it to say: logic tends not to be taught in churches. That's not what they're built for.

Churches have a long history of offering pie in the sky to subdue the lower classes in order to maintain the social order. That's just how it is. That doesn't mean churches don't offer anything of value. Quite the contrary - they *have to* offer *something* of value in order for anyone to attend them.

But what they definitely tend not to offer is any sort of self-defense.

Scientology
One of the tragically worst metaphysical dojos I have ever seen. I can't even begin with how unbelievably messed up their hash of layman pyschology, mysticism, con-artistry and sociopathy can be.

Which appears to be a perfect reflection of their founder. Described by a former assistant of his as at times very insightful, at times a con artist, and at times actually frighteningly not-sane.

Some very famous people seem to like Scientology, and consider it beneficial. Good for them; maybe it works for them. Maybe it works for other people as well. For some, it may be a valuable alternative to drug addiction or worse.

But as a way to learn to think for yourself, it fails utterly.

And the things that they've gotten away with as an organization are ***insane***.

I'll leave you with this: Charles Manson attended an early offshot of Scientology.

Don't even grab the brochure as a laugh. Just run.

Landmark Education
I actually found this to be very, very good in terms of metaphysical exercise. Very confrontational, in what it brought me to look at and really see in myself.

And it genuinely offers *no* philosophy, no guru-style leadership, and not any objective right-and-wrong. It's an interesting and effective blend of Buddhism and existentialism. It's main outlook is: there is no meaning in life except what we put in it - *and that's OK*. What that then means is, we have the opportunity to put in a meaning that we will truly enjoy.

Which is all great. Unfortunately it's also saddled with the most aggravatingly built-in sales tactics ever.

This truly is a shame. I think Landmark is well worth experiencing in spite of this - and the sales pitches tend to only start at the end. And I'll also say, that I and every person I know who's been to Landmark is glad that they did.

Other New Age organizations
I haven't heard of any that teach you to think for yourself.

Other self help organizations
Not from my personal experience, but they seem to beneficial when targeted towards specific issues. AA for instance has saved many lives, even if they can be cultish in their approach. I think it's a valid argument that if someone has to choose between drinking themselves to death or submit to a "higher power" as AA dictates - submission is a better solution.

Addiction is a circumstance where the addict is pulled off balance, and is not acting from their own core - but from the part of them that is in thrall to the drug. Any sort of logic, let alone Mind Fu, won't work unless the person's balance is coming from their core.

Actual Martial Arts schools.
I think these are all great for the mind as well as the body. I'd recommend them heartily to everyone. I also think so-called "soft" styles are particularly beneficial for mental self-defense.

They teach the mind, by teaching us how to be in the body and act against others, not by matching their energy but by moving around it in accordance with our *own* goals. To not let others determine what will happen, but to adjust it in terms of what *we* want.

Which is the best thing anyone can ever know.