Is The System Broken?
I don’t intend for these question-like blogs to continue, but this one is sparked by listening to an opinion. The system might be broken, but only momentarily.
‘Blame the system, go ahead. It’s the easiest thing to do. I do, you do, everyone does. It’s an instinct. Right now, as I write this, I would say the system is broken, but using a slither of perspective — it seems we’re all lost in the noise.’
These thought-provoking pieces are interesting to write.
They hover over some key themes that resonate throughout these blogs.
But where has the inspiration come from this?
I was scrolling around Spotify and a podcast series popped up.
I scrolled down to find a relevant one to me and pressed play.
This is the one I chose:
Never would’ve guessed, eh?
The creator of this podcast is 18-year-old Thomas Rozema.
Let’s make that clear, he’s 18.
That’s an important point to my reason why I think he’s right, but not fully correct in his words.
The podcast is raw, honest and you can tell through listening closely that he’s being as deep as his emotions allow.
It’s a solid rant and it portrays a strong message.
Strong enough to make me react with agreement but also slight uncertainty.
The systems that Rozema explains in his podcast relate to all forms of teaching and progress.
Any system that affects any person’s ability to narrow the information gap I spoke about in a past blog.
He advocates the listeners to truly engage by deep-diving into their own lives and figuring out if they blame the system for their problems and issues.
He holds nothing back and says that systems have stopped him becoming a National Hockey League (NHL) player.
He speaks from experience, and that’s one of the main reasons I chose to focus on his podcast to base my opinion.
I think he speaks with passion but with slight immaturity.
He is three years younger than me, but I would say he was much more proactive at 18 than I was.
He knows more and is more self-aware.
My opinion stems from understanding the balance between juggling the present and deciphering a future.
Let me set a scenario out:
I leave school and join university. I live out for university (which I didn’t, but hypothetically). I have to learn about all the issues with living alone and taking care of myself. They didn’t teach me that in school. Then it comes to taxes and school never taught me that either. I fail, lose a lot of money and embarrass myself — the school system is broken.
Another scenario:
I work really hard at my golf. For years and years, I spent practicing and I finally win something. I get ahead of myself and I get cocky. Lose all my friends and isolate myself. Then when people are better practiced than I, there is no-one to turn to. The professional game is impossible to enter, despite all the hard work, blood, sweat and tears I put in — the golf system is broken.
In the moment, both these systems are broken. Undoubtedly.
It’s a hard thing to do, but to cast your mind back to the process and what you learnt from it is really quite essential to dealing with failure.
Rozema talks about loving the process, while you’re doing it, but what about after the fact? You failed and now you wonder the next move. That’s when you start to love the process.
The systems are broken, sure.
But as with repetition in school, the more you repeat it; the more you believe it.
Add a little bit of perspective and see that you’ve got a lot of life to live, the system appears less broken.
As I said yesterday, the dream world and the real world often converge.
It’s not as easy to change an existing system as it is to create a new one.
You make your own path, why bother trying to change an established institution?
I wouldn’t.
That’s why politics keeps failing, a new government every five years wants to change the system.
The system has lasted years and years, and you just want to change it.
Bad systems fail or are forced to fail, communism is an example.
Good or advertised good systems prevail, capitalism the example here.
Rozema is 18 years old.
He has all of his life to live.
School is tough, especially if you’re unable to pursue your passion — but looks like he’s doing that too.
So is the system broken?
It’s not just the system. It’s the environment you subscribe to, it’s the way you perceive yourself in that system, and if you have a problem; figuring out a new system and pursuing it.
Rozema speaks well, I think he’ll figure it out in the long term.
Edit: as with all opinions, it’s often easy to misunderstand. Rozema does have his sights set on creating his own path and the fact that he has to shows that the original system is broken.
I’m doing the same, I’ve just lived longer and because we both live by experience that’s all that separates us.
Another exciting human found just doing their thing, this time not on Trafalgar Square but on Spotify.
Follow Thomas Rozema’s podcast series here:
He deserves a ton of support.
Thanks to Cooper Lower for the song on repeat for today: