Wealth should not be the goal that drives you towards a formal education, that isn't a hunger for knowledge it is just greed. A formal education has nothing to do with how smart you are, and the lack of one does not insure stupidity. Schools teach everyone the same thing, and instill the same values on everyone. Everyone who receives an "A" marked the same answers on the test, and holds the same thoughts in their head about whatever the subject might be. Of course biases and opinions are formed, but none of the students ever assumes that what they were taught is wrong or not factual. The teacher never lies, the teacher is not human. The system never lies, the system is not human. The book never lies because it was provided by the teacher and approved by the system. Unchecked trust in anything is never good, and only leads to extortion. The systematic passing of a formal education, through the process of marking the same answer as everyone else, is considered intelligence. That sounds like the definition of average.
Subjects which when considered could make you seriously think against these institutions, and those that support them, are never brought up. Schools are narrowed down to a few subjects, and when students are allowed to think "freely" the subjects are narrowed down based on other external and internal factors. Never mind the fact that students hardly have anytime to delve into other subjects outside of school. Between the work required of school, and the natural feeling of a need to have an enjoyable time, what time is there for the student to learn on their own? On the off chance that they do it is usually something brought directly to their attention through the mass media. Subjects found through the mass media usually, if not always, follow the same trends as the school subjects do. Then again, what do I know? I'm just a student.
If your opinion is one that you came to as a result of school, the chances are it is the opinion they want you to have. Even any negative opinions of the institutions is directed towards something meaningless. Phrases with no meaning are invented and your negative thoughts are directed at those and sometimes even welcomed. The student doesn't discuss their legitimate disapproval of the actual overall system, instead they discuss their negative feelings toward homework, subjects, projects, teachers, rules, and other minor issues that exist within the system. The redirection of our thought from what really effects us onto smaller, insignificant, and often fabricated subjects is what makes every system in the United States work.
The systems don't work to our advantage. Of course, school and mass media wouldn't openly tell us that. People might announce that they have stolen, or lied, or caused harm to someone because their "conscious" might make them regret it and feel sorrowful. Systems, however, do not have feelings, or a "conscious." They will continue to rape until forced to stop. Our system is one that not only limits free thought in every possible way, but promotes and rewards for conformity.
