I have on occasion pondered becoming a science teacher, because I love science and I love sharing my knowledge. But I myself had difficulties in school, which in hindsight was partly because of its stiff structure that did not allow bright students to excel. I'm not sure I could participate effectively in such an environment without butting heads against the administration and getting my arse canned.

Physicist Richard Feynman once described schools like modern baseball training. Where are there exceptional players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Hank Aaron, etc...? Ever notice how they play unconventionally? They ran funny, batted strange, throw strangely. They played better because they were different. Today's baseball camps train all players to play the same way. It has the benefit of taking lesser players and teaching them the methods to play really good ball. But it has the disadvantage in that it takes a potentially great and unorthodox player and forcing them down to the good level.

School is just like that. They teach one method. There are special help programs for lesser ability students to help them catch up. But there is little to nothing to allow exceptionally bright students to run. They are in effect held back.

I agree with your assessment re imagination. In thinking about it just a little, every smart person I've met has imagination. The "dumb thugs" are mere automatons.

And what's more, I have had a recent revelation based on events in my personal life that there are actually people who appear to NOT want to be smarter, and actually despise those who do and are. They are offended by those who actually want to share their knowledge. It's a subject I'm still pondering and I find it extremely depressing.

Brian