How an Idiot Became an Actuary…

And why today’s education is failing people.
At a recent Heavy Chef event held in Johannesburg, Dr Taddy Blecher, a pioneer of the free higher education movement in SA, spoke about his experiences as a student. Blecher, who now heads up the Maharishi Institute, explained to Adlip how education is changing, and how his journey has galvanised him to make a difference…
“The future of education is around this concept of mass personalisation, which is about education getting down to the level of every individual (their wants, needs, skills, abilities, talent, etc)…and education does not do that today.”
In his view, with huge class numbers and overworked teachers, children in classes are at different levels.
“So we all go through this old fashioned, traditional schooling system that really never talks to any of us,” adds Blecher.
As a result, many kids get very little from education, he says, which ultimately sets them back for life.
“The revolution that’s happening in education is both the Digital revolution (allowing individuals to learn at their own pace), and then also looking at methodologies to wake up the individual,” he explains. “The current education system is a total mismatch - it’s not really teaching people how to think or create or anything else that people need to be successful in the 21st century…”
Blecher uses himself as a classic example of this. As an actuarial science student at Wits University, he barely scraped through his first three years of the degree - failing exams along the way. At some point, his mom was diagnosed with liver cancer, and was only given three months to live.
“She completely cured herself…she turned to alternative [treatments]. Everything the doctors told her to do, she didn’t do,” he says.
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One thing Blecher picked up from this was the art of meditation, which he says transformed how his mind worked.
“I went from not being able to concentrate at all, to being able to study for 14 hours on end,” he explains. “My mind was alive…”
He went on to take the rest of his actuarial exams (taking six in one year, which was unheard of), passed them all, and even got the top Honours mark in the country.
“My professor came to me and said, how did an idiot like you become an actuary?”
Blecher notes that the experience is part of why he stayed in the country.
“I realised that there are other kids out there for whom education just doesn’t talk to them…it loses everybody. So how do we revolutionise education, so that it can talk to everybody? Everybody is walking around with a mind, and they do not have the key to unlock their potential…"

[@chanellemulan8004]

Im not intrested in becoming an Actuary. I actually just fount out this profession exists but I think his testimony goes to show that many opportunities are possible if you just put your mind to it. No matter what you're going through in life, when its time to study, its time to focus. When life get rough, become even more determine and dont give up. Good for him 😁

[@t.s5806]

I was going to study actuarial science at WITS... well. That was until I shockingly got an acceptance letter from Stanford University in California, USA. Opportunities are available worldwide, not just in South Africa. You're right.

[@taeyangkookie2500]

He never gave up from the start🙏🌸 alot of people would of dropped but he kept on going and pushing.... teaches alot of people to have patience because all good things come towards the end of the race.

[@courtneybrown3915]

Congratulations to you man! I’m glad you didn’t let your rough start degrade you.

[@thinkingskills]

Actually a really great little talk - well done dear Taddy!!!

[@Wangste002]

He certainly doesn't look like an idiot.

[@and1russell]

If he's an idiot, if I was an employer I don't wanna hire him

[@wesleynaidoo45]

If you "were" an employer you "wouldn't want to" hire him.

[@SA-gt8lx]

if you were an employer you "wouldn't" hire him.

[@MJtheFellowActuary]

Wits is the best :)

[@refentseazania5550]

MJ the Student Actuary I'm at kovsie

[@TheEloim_]

MJ the Student Actuary wait mj you r South African lol .i didn’t realise

[@ngcalinqadala2819]

Refentse Azania how many exemptions do you get there, is it any good?

[@t.s5806]

​@@refentseazania5550 do you work right now?

[@v.a.carter5406]

Thank you for sharing. The humans that designed and built pyramids, beautiful musica pieces, breaking technologies and more, possessed Passion. This passion is the key we can find again. it just needs to be fed.

[@benreevers2811]

that's actually inspiring to me, a person who's been thinking about a career change into the actuarial world...thx

[@tiarragreen5913]

Ben Reevers hey, 3 years later.. how did it go?

[@Soren_Kierkegaard]

5 years later, how did it go?

[@junal27]

On the same path after 25 doing something different, wish me good luck

[@Nodistractions-rd7ow]

7 years later ...how did it go?

[@ricardofraser4243]

well said ... education system makes everything abstract and alienates a significant proportion of students

[@jessicasanchez134]

I've watched this video twice, I really don't want to quit :(

[@sikelela8842]

Inspiring!

[@sgtcojonez]

Is it just me, or did he skip the how?

[@Ditiro100]

Meditation

[@hakunamatata7507]

he said he studied 14+ hrs a day

[@t.s5806]

​@@hakunamatata7507 😂thats just insanity

[@johnduong5448]

okay so transcendental meditation

[@kagisomadisa4622]

how actually did you study? I am very interested..

[@DavidVonR]

Whew! There's hope for me, then.

[@alir.9894]

WOW & CONGRATS to both you and your mom! Can you please talk more about this Transcendental Meditation? How did you do it? What books or articles did you read about it? A more detailed explanation would be much appreciated. Thank you for you story!

[@kaegengovender8791]

I might be a bit late to comment, lol. But you can learn how to do this meditation by finding a transcendental meditation center near you. Just Google it, they are everywhere

[@amunyanOwO]

You're amazing and so inspiring! Thank you for this talk.

[@FREAK12111]

how long did it take for you to notice a change in the mind by meditating?

[@truthspeak6608]

people who call themselves idiots are often the smartest people in the room

[@thembekandlovu-br6jb]

Kindly explain what is it you are dping to the kids in order to improve the quality of learning

[@andresrossi9]

This is a paradox: an actuary can't be an idiot

[@PM-xd6nv]

That's why he was an idiot first, THEN an actuary. Not both simultaneously.

[@shekinahglory944]

very inspiring :)

[@junal27]

Incredible interview, all true!

[@t.s5806]

How did he get into honours with 0 exemptions and poor marks?

[@luxuchiha911]

He wrote the missed exemptions via ASSA

[@funkopopmob3279]

Hello, I’m about to finish up my bachelors of science in mathematics. I was wondering how can I become an actuary with a degree in mathematics. What procedures do I have to take to Perdue this career. I wanted to be a hs math teacher but I feel that im busting my butt so much for a mathedegree to get paid very little lol

[@kitty1977]

Do the actuary exams.Check them out on soa.org

[@vanditsangal5018]

Sir how many exams of core principle(old syllabus)/core technical(new syllabus) can be give at once?There are a total of 6 exams in CT/CP,how many can we give together?

[@nightfire4107]

He seems intelligent

[@jennyhernandez6465]

I was interesting in finding your answer as to how you did become an Actuary? I don't think I got the answer from you. What principles did you apply in order to be able to change as a student and become successful in your work (e.g. test, exams, general studying the material)?

[@johnduong5448]

that's not what is was about. He wasn't explaining how to succeed as an actuary. He was mentioning his fortunate finding of meditation which helped him obtained an honored position, as an example and experience to why he believes the education system doesn't allow talented kids to ever reveal there talents, this has nothing to do with an actuary career.

[@kaegengovender8791]

Does anyone know where we can learn transcendental in Johannesburg South Africa

[@Snobtsula]

Taddy Blecher's school called Maharishi Institute- it's in Johannesburg CBD

[@paddy6494]

so true

[@brianherz2003]

What Study Material did you use?

[@haveatyou1]

Congratulations. But WTF did I just watch?

[@ndzalamamkansi9761]

How did you do it? This video is useless without the HOW part

[@vladm.6859]

i think he mentioned how. meditation. very briefly though

[@hakunamatata7507]

he said he studied 14+ hrs a day

[@abubakersamba528]

One day I well be experience actuary

[@1RamTough]

Now, clearly your issue was that you lacked focus and discipline as a younger student, but I would bet that if you had your IQ tested, even then, you would have scored fairly high. The military doesn’t allow people with an IQ below 75 to serve in the armed forces. Yes, I think that there is an issue with a lack of discipline and focus, but even if we are able to fix that for everyone, there will still be some with a low IQ, and there is no known method to make up for that. Someone with a low IQ struggle with basic tasks, such as folding a piece of paper so that it will fit into an envelope.

[@amunyanOwO]

You're amazing and so inspiring! Thank you for this talk.