RGV with Akella Raghavendra (Part 1)
Ramuism
In this episode of Ramuism, Ram Gopal Varma (RGV) and Akella Raghavendra engage in a deep philosophical dialogue regarding the flaws within
Key takeaways
- RGV posits that the modern education system is outdated because it prioritizes rote memorization for marks over actual understanding.
- The advent of Google and the internet has fundamentally changed how individuals verify facts, potentially rendering traditional classroom models obsolete.
Main topics
- Flaws in the education system
- Eastern vs. Western philosophy
Notable quotes
True education means knowing the truth.
Conclusion
The episode serves as a provocative critique of institutionalized lear
Transcript preview
Speaker 2 (0:00) America is the only country with no history, no tradition, no culture. Why is it most successful in the whole world? That's the reason. Because the ancestors, the ancestors, the ancestors, they stopped everything. Speaker 1 (0:14) Same thing goes for everyone. You Speaker 2 (0:18) respect and listen to Speaker 1 (0:21) everyone. Now, Speaker 2 (0:22) they google what you said and check if it's correct. So, I feel that application completely changes the education Speaker 1 (0:32) system. Speaker 2 (0:33) During Speaker 1 (0:34) that Speaker 2 (0:34) time, I wanted to become an Indian Forest Service, IFS. I wanted to become a forest service. During these Speaker 1 (0:43) steps, Darwin told us that the survivor of the pit test is the Speaker 2 (0:50) one Speaker 1 (0:50) who goes from the first layer to the fifth layer. He is the Speaker 2 (0:55) one Speaker 1 (0:55) who Speaker 2 (0:56) is Speaker 1 (0:56) the civil servant. Speaker 2 (0:57) If Speaker 1 (0:57) you do a documentary, Speaker 2 (0:58) if you slow down by half an hour a day, It took 24 hours today. Tomorrow is 23 and a half. I'll go and do it. If I do it like this, what will it mean? Speaker 2 (1:15) That's what the document says. Speaker 1 (1:17) How extraordinary is that? Speaker 2 (1:19) Supposing everybody will require the same time to study something, that is fundamentally wrong. Speaker 1 (1:26) That's my point. Speaker 2 (1:28) So if you take the powers you are given seriously, not just the IAS officer, even the clerk is powerful. Speaker 1 (1:36) Because Speaker 2 (1:37) they all follow the regulations. That's why you are not just saying this and that. Speaker 1 (1:43) Now, there's a DIG guy there. Speaker 2 (1:48) He's from the same party. Everyone's on the same show. Speaker 1 (1:51) That's right. Speaker 2 (1:52) He said, do you know who I am? I said, Speaker 1 (1:53) how Speaker 2 (1:55) do you know? He said, Speaker 1 (1:58) I'll show Speaker 2 (1:59) you Speaker 1 (1:59) again. Speaker 1 (2:02) An Speaker 2 (2:02) honest Speaker 1 (2:02) officer who is drinking Speaker 2 (2:02) and playing with his wife, if you go there, my son Speaker 1 (2:10) will come to you and beat him up. That's Speaker 2 (2:12) what I Speaker 1 (2:12) wanted to say. Speaker 2 (2:13) Give me an example. In my country, after Kaurava died, all the other dharma kings and bheemas will not change. Because, what's the hero without a villain? Hero's existence is only until there is a villain. Speaker 1 (2:41) Hello, Speaker 2 (2:41) Mr. Speaker 1 (2:41) RGV. Basically, I have many interviews with you. I don't even know about you. It's an open book. The straight question is, many people say that the education system is not good today. Or that the education system is a waste. Or that it is for the marks. What is your take on it? What do you think? Speaker 2 (3:09) Now, there is a difference between education and studies. I have a feeling. Speaker 1 (3:14) You know, Speaker 2 (3:15) they put up a syllabus, study the subject and then take an exam. If you pass the exam, you get a degree or a value. This is one part. True education means knowing the truth. For example, when I study engineering, I have to study the subject of hydraulics, sand, or other math subjects. Speaker 2 (3:51) I felt that I should tell everything extensively in a particular course. Speaker 1 (3:58) If Speaker 2 (3:58) I Speaker 1 (3:59) don't Speaker 2 (3:59) tell everything and just Speaker 1 (3:59) write down what should be in Speaker 2 (3:59) the match, I don't know anything until the time I finish engineering. Because I studied for marks. Parents and teachers always stressed me about passing. If you don't get these marks or distinction, you won't get a job. Otherwise you won't have a job tomorrow. You will have a fear of leaving. Speaker 2 (4:24) I feel that education should be pleasurable. There is a difference between reading it with love and hard work. You have to work hard, work hard, work hard. No one likes to hear the word hard. First of all, that's a problem. If you make that experience pleasurable with love, after that, your intelligence will go with your natural intelligence as a byproduct. If you put it in a false aspect, it is compulsory and if not, you will not live. I think you are sending a wrong signal to the students. The primary use of education is that since your grandfather or your ancestors discovered the wheel, they gathered a lot of knowledge and put it in us. Speaker 2 (5:17) If Speaker 1 (5:18) you know Speaker 2 (5:18) your particular field of interest, you can start from where someone left. That's the basic point. But in real life practical aspect, I can't do it for everyone. I don't think everyone will think like that. Speaker 2 (5:44) Common sense tells me that there is something wrong there. Speaker 2 (5:49) Education is not about marks. Education is about getting educated. That is a very important line. But I don't think any institute tells that. Education is not about marks. That is the actual point. Because you will know what is focus. Because when you say marks, you develop a mindset to beat the teacher. This is one aspect. The second trend is Speaker 2 (6:22) My grandfather and my brother-in-law told me about the decision. I don't know why they told me. He might have acquired some world knowledge. Why did they choose civil engineers? They are the ones who give contracts to the civil engineers. That's what he told me. Contractors give Speaker 1 (6:42) lunches to Speaker 2 (6:42) civil engineers. He said that they were the ones who gave Speaker 1 (6:46) him the Speaker 2 (6:48) incentive. Speaker 2 (6:51) So if you are continuously in insecurity, you will get these wrong messages. Speaker 2 (6:58) So, what I observed many times is that, in my school or college, no one sits on the front bench and gets the maximum marks. As a rule of the vision. There are two reasons for that. One is, they are so mired in the theoretical aspect of it, they don't know the practical life. They can't deal with it. They run away. They get scared. Now, a person like me, sitting on the back bench, and they are being chalked up and they are doing this and that, doing rowdyism. We understand the real life. Speaker 1 (7:31) So, Speaker 2 (7:32) in the practical aspect, the tendency for a bad student to become successful is actually more. That's why I have put this in Siva Sinha's book. Those who know the numbers and the numbers, will grow in numbers and in lakhs. Those who have done books will work with Speaker 1 (7:49) them. Speaker 2 (7:53) My grandfather is a highly qualified engineer. All of them will work with Subramaniam Reddy. Finally. Speaker 1 (8:01) I would like to say that, the one who writes the news will be a vlogger, the one who writes the news will be a Ramoji. Correct. As you all know, practically, from the first year of my degree, till the second year of my degree, Speaker 1 (8:42) Pure bookish. Speaker 1 (8:45) I got more marks in my second year than in my third year. People who were sitting next to me, took less marks than me. Speaker 2 (9:00) Only subject books? Correct. Yes, I understand. The Speaker 1 (9:05) reason is that we know the outside world. Speaker 2 (9:10) So the lens you see changes. Correct. Speaker 1 (9:13) When you see the outside world, the angle of view changes automatically. Another surprising thing is that I read more than 7-8 books in 2012-2013. Speaker 1 (9:32) The Speaker 2 (9:32) more I understand, Speaker 1 (9:33) the more I know. The strange thing is that I read new subjects more. For example, I didn't read about the snake before. I read about face reading in the last 5 years. I read about new things. I don't know if it's scientific or not. But the reason is that I already know about math, physics, chemistry, and philosophy. When I learn a new subject, I learn it quickly. Like a movie. Speaker 2 (10:02) Correct. There is a small aspect. You said palmistry. Astrology, numerology, whatever. There is a famous person in Bollywood. She is a famous person. Her name is Sapna. Speaker 2 (10:20) She has a tarot card. So, when I offered her, I said, I don't want to know my future. The reason is, first of all, if I know my future, if it's bad, I'll try to stop it. Technically speaking. If you tell them specifically, there is a chance that they will stop. If you tell them that you will get into an accident on the road, they will not go out that day. But if you tell them that you will get into an accident at some point, they will not stop. Speaker 2 (10:57) Since I couldn't do it, Speaker 1 (10:59) why should I be tensed now? That's it. Speaker 2 (11:02) If Speaker 1 (11:03) it's good, let it come as a surprise. Speaker 2 (11:06) That's it. So, I don't need any other way to know. Another Speaker 1 (11:11) thing Speaker 2 (11:12) is, this is done. Now, Speaker 2 (11:18) I was always concentrating on philosophy. I have written only two types of books since my intermediate days. One is philosophy and the other is fiction writing. Speaker 2 (11:48) I didn't read all his books. There was one called Tulasi. And maybe something of Rangnathakam's Sweet Home. I read it in the early days. I Speaker 1 (12:01) read it Speaker 2 (12:01) in the 10th standard. I read it in one book. Tulasi, and Kashmora. I read the sequel. But when I was very young, I went into English fiction. Speaker 2 (12:21) After reading English fiction, I could see the exorcist in William Peter Blatty's Exorcist novel. He was heavily borrowed from that. I knew the origin of his talent. At a certain time, Nick Carter was a writer. His books had sex scenes in between. I started reading very seriously in B.Tech in the Speaker 1 (12:59) first Speaker 2 (12:59) year. Speaker 2 (13:03) I was influenced by non-fiction writers like Frederick Fawcett and Robert Ludlam. I stopped reading from then. The only book that influenced me was the book by R. R. Rangnayakkam in Telugu literature. It had a huge impact on me. The basis of belief in God is something I started questioning for the first time. It will Speaker 1 (13:32) not Speaker 2 (13:32) change. But in English, I have finished reading all of them during my second year of engineering. Speaker 2 (13:51) So, the difference between Eastern and Western philosophy is that Eastern philosophy always supports failure. It will give a platform for failure. We will not provoke them. If you have Western philosophy, like Marxism or anything, it will create societies and countries. They created events. When Hitler came Speaker 1 (14:16) to Speaker 2 (14:16) Nazism, he used to talk about Nisha. Because, Manisha never said, I am. If you say, I am, you will get a moral justification. If I say, you will get ego. Do you know what is in that book? Do you know what is in that book? Or, do you know what is in Bhagavad Gita? You will get a moral sanctum. Speaker 1 (14:39) ISM mark. Speaker 2 (14:40) ISM mark. So, because the Second World War, almost theoretical justification, Hitler took it from Das Pek Jaratustra. Now, if we think about it, mostly, we think about the entire universe, the self, the Atma, the soul, etc. But it doesn't mean anything. That's why everyone, you Speaker 1 (15:01) all, have grown this Speaker 2 (15:01) Kasha Varsha, and Speaker 1 (15:03) all Speaker 2 (15:03) those who Speaker 1 (15:04) sit Speaker 2 (15:04) idle, be fantastic. Your Western philosophers, they all went on like that. Speaker 2 (15:12) Very very hard hitting. Speaker 2 (15:42) When I read the world as a villain idea by Arthur Schopenhauer, In that, the application of, for example, in one chapter, the metaphysics of the love between sexes, in that, he went to the extent, when a woman stops, I mean, in the time of Manupas, almost as if nature doesn't care about her, because nature's importance of the species is for their continued existence. Continuously, there should be a cycle of life. When it is over, she'll be prone more to ill health, not being attractive and this and that. And he wrote all this in the 16th century. In the late 16th century, he wrote The World as a Will and Idea. To incudence that, you're seeing me with a sense of your sight. Speaker 2 (16:42) You are now in the sense of your hearing. You are now in the sense of your touch. All these senses are nothing but functions of the mind. And the mind is nothing but a thought, which is an idea. So while you are sleeping, the whole world is gone. You will come Speaker 1 (17:01) back to your Speaker 2 (17:01) sleep. And it comes back in different forms and shapes for each and every conscious living being on the planet. The one in Africa doesn't know anyone. He is not in the world. We don't Speaker 1 (17:14) have him. Speaker 2 (17:15) It's for you. If you go home after an interview, you don't have him. It's for you. So, what is the application of this? When I was taught this, what I felt was, we humans have emotions. When do we get angry? You feel you are right. Anger comes out of righteousness. Speaker 2 (17:39) If I am wrong and you are right, I will not