The Impact of Perspective and the Purpose of Education

Note: This post was originally written on September 19, 2018 and published on Sina Weibo. As the platform is no longer accessible, it is now republished on my personal blog.

Introduction

The title of this piece may sound a bit grand. After all, I’m still young and don’t even have children, yet I’m attempting to discuss such a “big topic.” So it’s necessary to first clarify how to conduct efficient communication.

Back when I was tinkering with computers, I learned a term: full duplex, as opposed to half duplex. In simple terms, human face-to-face communication is usually half duplex—you speak, I listen, or I speak, you listen. We can’t truly speak and listen simultaneously (although in movies, arguments sometimes look full duplex).

At the time, I imagined how ideal it would be if people could connect directly brain-to-brain—what I think, you would fully understand, without needing language as an imperfect medium.

Later, I came across an idea (I don’t recall the exact wording, but the principle stayed with me): to communicate efficiently, avoid four patterns:

• appealing to authority (“qualification”),

• appealing to intention (“motivation”),

• appealing to morality,

• deflecting responsibility.

At their core, these all avoid discussing the issue itself. No matter how lively the exchange appears, it produces no real communication.

Examples:

• “What right do I have to talk about education if I don’t have children?” (qualification)

• “I’m saying this for your own good.” (motivation)

• “You didn’t say that before.” (morality)

• “That’s not my responsibility.” (responsibility)

Everyone encounters these patterns in life and work. Fundamentally, they reflect disordered logic and broken causality, making meaningful discussion impossible.

With that said, I suppose I’m now “qualified” to talk about perspective and education. After all, as someone who has been educated, I at least have the experience of being a child.

On the Influence of Perspective

Conclusion first: perspective shapes judgment, and judgment shapes choice. The magnitude of this influence is far greater than most people assume.

I’ll illustrate this with two personal experiences.

Story One

A close friend of mine, Zi Wai, went to teach in a rural area after graduation. During those years, we would gather at her home during holidays to share experiences.

She is highly thoughtful. Shortly after arriving at the school, she designed a questionnaire for her students to better understand them and build rapport.

Among many varied responses, one question stood out for its uniformity—nearly 99% gave the same answer:

“What is your future dream?”
“Fashion designer.”

Pause for a moment and ask: why?

Because in that village, almost every household was engaged in textile subcontracting. Some made underwear, others made pants. They were always assigned tasks, never creating. In their world, the most “powerful” people were those who assigned work. The highest-status profession they could perceive was the fashion designer.

Then Zi Wai’s mother said something revealing:
“Why look down on them? Didn’t you also want to be a fashion designer when you were young?”

That was true. Growing up together, I had seen their fascination with fashion books. They even dressed me up based on their ideas.

But the key difference lies in perspective.

• “I want to be a fashion designer” can mean: I’ve seen 100 professions and still choose this.

• Or it can mean: out of the 10 professions I know, this is the best.

The latter is not really a choice—it’s a constrained default.

This reminded me of choosing a college major. Even with internet access, could we truly understand dozens of fields and their future paths? Most people, even after years of work, still choose within the limits of what they currently know.

At that time, I realized I had no right to mock those students. I myself was uncertain—uncertain about how much I truly understood the world, and even about myself.

Since then, encountering new things is no longer just about “broadening horizons,” but about questioning:
What does this actually represent? How much of it do I truly understand?

Story Two

The second experience came after returning from Japan.

Watching documentaries or photos is fundamentally different from physically being somewhere. Seeing is passive. Being there engages all senses—sight, sound, smell, touch—and even prompts you to imagine living there.

That is real experience.

During conversations, I found myself thinking:
The world is bigger and more beautiful than I imagined. I want my future children to “see it.”

Some friends responded:
“Our life here is already good. Safe, comfortable. Why impose your views on your children?”

At the time, I argued back, but something felt off. Later, I understood:

My intention is not to force a specific outcome, but to expand the range of possible choices.

“Good” is always relative. But if your comparison set is limited, how can you know whether what you see is truly the best?

When the sample size increases, judgments become more objective.

Just like when I was overweight: I thought I was choosing clothes based on preference. In reality, I was choosing within the constraint of “what fits.”

Wouldn’t you want to expand that range?

Back to the Core Point

Perspective shapes judgment; judgment shapes choice.

A limited perspective leads to biased judgment, which leads to constrained choices.

Life is a sequence of choices. If perspective influences something so fundamental, its impact is enormous.

The most helpless moment for me was choosing a major after the college entrance exam—making a life-defining decision without truly understanding the world.

Which leads to the next question: what is the purpose of education?

The Purpose of Education

I once came across a framework that I strongly agree with. Education should aim to:

1. Understand how society operates.

2. Acquire survival skills.

3. Discover what one truly loves.

These align with realizing one’s value:

• Understanding society → knowing how to live.

• Survival skills → being able to live.

• Passion → having a reason to live meaningfully.

However, what do most people treat as the purpose of education?

Competitiveness.

Children attend classes to outperform others, to “stand out.” Education becomes instrumentalized.

I recall a robotics competition in high school. If you won, you could be recommended to Zhejiang University.

I joined—but not purely out of passion. The “recommendation” was the real driver.

When I saw others’ work, the gap was enormous. I was riding a handmade bicycle; they were on custom-built motorcycles.

They were pursuing the outcome. I was dabbling in interest.

That project itself was meaningful, but it was not valued—because it didn’t translate into exam scores or job prospects.

I don’t blame my parents or teachers. They were making rational choices based on their own understanding of the world.

Which brings perspective and education together:

The breadth of one’s perspective directly determines whether educational decisions are rational.

Conclusion

One major factor distorting education is social evaluation—how others judge us.

Understanding a principle is one thing; acting on it requires both conviction and willingness to bear cost.

Some say I’m arrogant. I recognize that trait—but it also helps me believe in myself and take action.

As Jack Ma once said: confident, even arrogant young people still have hope—they may seize opportunities beyond their reach. Those who lack confidence may fail to seize even the opportunities that belong to them.

I know I cannot change the system alone. Even if I raise children according to my beliefs, they may appear “different” in the eyes of others. That social pressure is real and unpredictable.

Perhaps I will compromise in some ways. But I will still try my best to practice what I believe education should be.

So what should parents do?

Create as many options as possible for their children.

Education is not only about the child—it is primarily about the parents. Only when parents expand their own perspective can children expand theirs.

I will continue thinking about this topic and share further reflections in the future.

Next topic: “Perfection” and “Admitting Mistakes.”