What shall I teach my son?
Fears that AI will erode the value of programming and other “knowledge work” are prompting parents to re‑examine what children should learn in order to thrive. Commenters debate whether to double down on timeless capacities like curiosity, critical thinking, adaptability, moral character and reading, or to prioritize economically “safe” paths such as medicine or trades in an era of growing precarity. Many argue schools already fail at their higher ideals and function mainly as daycare, so the real leverage lies in parenting: modeling values, teaching kids how to learn, and giving them practical and emotional tools to navigate an uncertain future.
Myths about Success and “the Market”
- Several comments debunk myths: Gates and Einstein were not “average dropouts” or mediocre; both had strong academic performance and advantages (family, connections).
- Skepticism toward narratives that “the market” purely rewards raw talent; privilege and selection bias are seen as huge factors.
Purpose of Education
- Competing single-word goals: “resourceful,” “curious,” “skeptical,” “virtuous.”
- Two broad visions:
- Humanistic: become a good person and citizen, think critically, understand history and society, appreciate humanities.
- Instrumental: economic survival, credentialing, and preparation for scarce, well-paid work.
- Some argue school should teach how to learn and reason more than specific content; others stress core knowledge (math, literacy, history) still matters.
What to Teach Children
- Widely mentioned basics: reading deeply, critical thinking, skepticism, problem decomposition.
- Character: kindness, empathy, integrity, resilience, ability to apologize, take responsibility.
- Practical skills: financial literacy, cooking, basic trades/repairs, survival/outdoor skills, physical competence.
- Enrichment: a musical instrument, at least one foreign language, art or other creative expression.
- Social skills: boundaries, cooperation, dissent in free societies, forming and keeping friends.
Parenting Philosophy
- Strong emphasis on modeling behavior over lecturing; “you are the training data.”
- Let kids explore their own interests; avoid over-optimizing for a specific career that may not exist later.
- Boredom plus access to creative tools is seen as healthy; play and reading together are central.
Schools and Systems
- Many see schools as primarily daycare plus socialization, with learning uneven and distorted by testing and incentives (Goodhart’s law).
- Debates over “unschooling”: critics say it risks leaving kids innumerate and vulnerable to grifters; defenders emphasize autonomy but often dismiss math like calculus, which others see as culturally and intellectually important.
AI and the Future of Work/Learning
- One camp: AI will commoditize intellectual work, making traditional education and many white‑collar careers far less valuable; adaptability and manual/trade skills become key.
- Opposing camp: this view is called “nonsense” or “alien”; education in reasoning, math, and humanities is seen as even more crucial to avoid total dependence on opaque systems and to resist manipulation.
- Widespread anxiety about economic precarity, concentration of capital, and a possible split between an owning class and an underclass.