Educational Plateau (Look a graph!!!!)

I'm good at school. I like school. But right now, I am so happy to be done with school. After 25 years of life I am finally at a place where I don't have to move on to a next "grade." While my double masters graduation was quite anti-climactic, the summer has only felt better as I've gotten further from reading, grades, and assignments.

Then at the same time, I wonder, "Am I getting dumber?" Or I can already feel myself falling far behind the curve of higher education, research, and politics (though I was always behind on politics). What do I do to "keep up" with the latest theology and psychology buzz? Do I want to keep up? It [higher education] was all so annoying and frustrating before, but back then (about a month ago), I felt like I could actually DO something about it--like I could make a difference! Now, I just feel like an overly educated, overly in debt, jaded, jobless hipster. Using nothing, giving nothing, and knowing everything (more or less). Wanting to fight The Man, but also, at this point, having no one but The Man to turn to (for jobs, security, protection, stuff....).

It's a bit extreme, I know. I feel a little bad for enjoying not being in school and I feel a little bad for being happy about it and letting my brain go numb.

I made this graph.


It's pretty meaningless, but I think more or less ideal for education. The y-axis is "stuff you know" and the x is "time". You learn a little more around puberty, undergrad (presuming you go) and grad school (presuming you go, duration variable). Point is, it's going up all the time. Sure there are times where it may dip, but overall, up. Though, how do you do this in adulthood? Learning is more or less natural as a kid, but after you are forced to be a robot adult in the real world--what do you do to not get dumb or plateau?

I'm just wondering... Cause all I want to do is play. I guess that's how kids learn, maybe I can too.

Two Types of Highly Educated Protestants

As much as I hate dualism, there really are only two types of educated protestants (maybe a hybrid third type). And when I say educated, what I mean is exposed and trained in high caliber theology (though, sometimes any subject, theology just emphasizes the dichotomy). That's right--these protestants wanted a saving challenge and went to the challenging schools where they found out that everyone is wrong, and everyone is right.

The first type of good theologically educated protestant is the wholly devoted one. Devout in all senses of the word. You don't care what anyone says, you know what you know, and you love what you love, and you will dedicate your time to that. Go against the grain and argue divine satisfaction for salvation--you are a Luther and Calvin lover, and there ain't nothin wrong with that. Go to your happy clappy church with no shame. Yeah, you know a lot, you know both sides, but you are DEVOTED! And your church needs you to keep their non-traditional traditions going. This protestant has got some extreme combo of commitment and brainwashing happening--but that's ok! You gotta love the zeal.

The second, more common type, is the jaded type. You may have started off as type one, but quickly you realized... God is complicated. Religion is complicated. And everything you learned about the Bible--may not be true! It is heartbreaking... You were in love with a lie, as abusive as that Eminem Rihanna song (Love the way you lie)--yeah THAT jaded. Can anything be redeemed! I don't even know what redemption means anymore!! Regardless, I'll find my place in some church where I agree with less than half of their doctrine/mission/whatever, and even if I don't, at least I know that we'll probably all be ok in the end... Cause God is love. Woopdidoo.

A third, hybrid type, may exist. The highly educated person who is jaded, but holding on to some sort of devotion (see all educated Catholics). This educated protestant is holding out for hope.

...but whatever.