School is Not Enough: Learning is a consequence of doing (2021)

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Prodigies, Dropouts, and Survivorship Bias

  • Many criticize the article’s use of famous early “doers” (tycoons, founders, game devs) as evidence, calling it strong survivorship/selection bias.
  • For every successful teen prodigy or dropout, commenters note millions of early “doers” and dropouts who ended up average or worse.
  • Some argue the standout successes are often “out-of-this-world good” and frequently rich or well-connected; not a generalizable model for most kids.
  • Others counter that luck still requires being active: you can only get “lucky” if you’re doing things, though doing does not guarantee luck.

School vs. “Learning by Doing”

  • Broad agreement that doing is essential; disagreement on whether school meaningfully provides it.
  • Some say school mostly trains for tests, suppresses agency, and is poor at creativity/productivity.
  • Others argue many schools now use project-based, lab, and inquiry learning, so “only passive consumption” is a false premise.
  • Several note that controlled, simplified “doing” in math, science, and CS (e.g., classic problems, labs) is still real doing.

Credentials, Bureaucracy, and Opportunity

  • Many see modern credentialism and HR/legal gatekeeping as the real barrier, not schooling itself.
  • Historical anecdotes of teens casually getting serious jobs are seen as mostly impossible today due to degrees/experience checklists.
  • One view: a high-school dropout’s main problem is systemic discrimination against missing credentials, not lack of ability.

Value of Degrees and Choice of Major

  • Strong split:
    • One side: staying in school, especially college, is often a debt trap with “useless” degrees; students should Google salary data and own their choices.
    • Another side: the system, parents, and lenders share responsibility; mass mis-choices signal a guidance and incentive problem.
  • Some argue we’ve “dumbed down” college by pushing universal access; others want college ultra low-cost but more clearly tied to outcomes.

Talent, Practice, and Motivation

  • Several emphasize that natural talent plus early practice compounds into passion and “agency,” but purposeful practice matters more than mere doing.
  • Others stress that most adults later rely on skills learned after formal schooling, crediting school mainly for teaching “how to learn.”

Agency, Group Schooling, and Equity

  • Commenters note that systems designed to pull ~97% to a minimum level are inefficient for stronger students and can waste their time and curiosity.
  • Counterargument: over-optimizing for the top 10% risks abandoning the rest; public education also serves socialization and equity.
  • Some frame school partly as necessary childcare so adults can work.

AI and the Future of Education

  • Optimists see AI as a path to individualized, one-on-one style tutoring for everyone, similar to fictional adaptive primers.
  • Skeptics worry AI can let students “build” things (e.g., software) without understanding, weakening learning-by-doing.
  • Others question vague claims about “personalized education,” arguing real learning still depends on situations that provide motivation, stakes, and practice.