Tara Westover: Mormons, Harry Potter and the future of education

[@amelian9677]

I don’t know who Anne is, but she conducted this interview much better than some others I have seen interview Tara. She asked respectful questions with a genuine interest in hearing the answers, she did not rush to sensationalize every little detail of Tara’s story, did not speak condescendingly, and did not try too hard to push her own narrative. This was an enjoyable discussion.

[@fastdollar1]

Tara's discussion with Bill Gates was also really good. Bill didn't have an air of pretense about her life.

[@healthybalance5748]

Best interview of Tara I have ever watched. It made me thoughtful about our own family approach to education. Education is not only text books and acing tests, it’s way beyond that. Thanks to the interviewer for the straight to the point questions. Great job! I really enjoyed Tara’s book. It made a real impression on me.

[@tracelynne]

Tara is asked early in this interview about her motivation to attend school. My experience of this book was that a huge motivation was escape from the current life and the path she was being groomed for. It's not a bad motivation, and it's not the only one she had. While reading her book, I definitely wanted her to escape that scrapyard run by a father obsessed with shortcuts and not ashamed of providing God multiple opportunities to fix his mistakes without the aid of medical professionals, before she lost body parts. And I was scared that if the Dad's recklessness didn't cripple her, her need for camaraderie and love from the abusive brother could. And then, I suspect the surprising and unwelcome effect her becoming a woman was having on him, not to mention, later, her expanding awareness through education adding to the threat to his own self image, the more dangerous he became. I'm surprised at how proud I can be of a stranger--but I so admire the courage she exhibited in going to college and accepting the opportunities offered despite her fears of not deserving them. But, I'm sad for her too, because while there's little physical evidence of the abuse (although I bet that spike left a scar to remember it by), I worry about how difficult the emotional and Spiritual abuse was (and is) to overcome.

[@Cor6196]

A beautiful comment that made me think just now, several years after you wrote it. I’m reading Educated this week - I’m halfway through - and I’m responding to Tara’s story as you are: the scrapyard is something out of a horror film, with scenes that could give me nightmares if I were prone to them, and a father whose character and behavior are so overwhelmingly warped that he nearly destroys his daughter. Literally. I have yet to read the rest and am almost fearing it because such beginnings are so foreboding. PS what a terrific interview, unexpectedly reflective.

[@radium05]

What I find captivating about most interviews with Westover is the avid desire hosts have to caress her story into that of someone saved from "dark conservativism" by "enlightened progressivism." Yet, she never once trips on that wire. And the brakes she slams on those attempts makes those interviewing her seem significantly more ignorant than they would prefer to appear. It's wise on Westover's part and very well executed.

[@Calypso1122]

bro what 💀 did we read the same book? her family is very conservative and neglectful as many conservatives are… admitting so wouldnt make her any less wise.

[@agathacccc2710]

I love the softness of the interviewer, gives more room to focus on the questions and leaves time for the author to answer.

[@RomyMacias]

Montessori method is referred to as work and most kids love it! All my kids did and now my grandkids. Worth looking into Maria Montessori's method.

[@lucysweeney8347]

100% ..Maria Montessori's early childhood education text books taught me more about How children learn and how to be an effective teacher than all the other books,texts,lectures I took to Post Grad.level Teacher Training.I wish we could shout that from the rooftops of the world! It is all there in her books.

[@chayblay]

This video makes me want to quit studying code and solving technical problems and instead go back to school to study high level interdisciplinary subjects that teach you to think through broadly and not hyper specialize and pigeon hole into a vocation.

[@sandylake9024]

I have great respect and admiration for this lady

[@sgt7]

I must disagree with all the complaints about the interviewer. I think she did, overall, a good job.

[@OB17358]

Poverty and impoverishment are not the same. Tara, I look forward to reading your book.

[@riddlezastra1496]

This is how 'educated' people sound when they have a discussion.

[@karenhayward1488]

Beautifully said. I loved this interview.

[@geregeorge1589]

The host desperately needs to move closer to the mic. I cannot understand her when she lowers her voice to ask questions. The video itself is very interesting.

[@emancipatedsoul8805]

Wow she must have a super high IQ to able to teacher herself so much.

[@The_Revolutionist]

Irony spotted. Stop being plz.

[@frenchboxer4ever]

Si right i thought same thing myself. And Her abbility To explain things is awsome.

[@TRGP331]

I knew her brother Tyler when we were kids. He is incredibly intelligent- looks like it runs in the family.

[@RichardChappell1]

@@TRGP331 - Maybe her "lack of education" isn't quite as lacking as she would have us believe. I've watched a number of her interviews as I tried to understand why she would write as she had, and it has become apparent that she is quite bitter that she didn't get what she thinks is a "normal" childhood. I have news for her - that "normal" is not so normal. The fact that she was able to study and pass the ACT without the years of formal education suggests that she was obviously taught to read and think well enough to self-educate. I'd suggest that puts her in a rare group of people as most people seem to lack that ability. It sounds like her parents may have had some good ideas after all. If she wasn't so bitter, she might be able to recognize that.

[@Isabella-de7kv]

Richard Chappell have you read the book? At no point does she sound bitter and acknowledges everything her family taught her.

[@kristilisakleiner9384]

What a lovely voice!

[@garmdianmelonking5211]

Just so we're clear here its more about a radical father than a religious belief here. Limiting world contact and offspring's world experiences is against current Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's goals.

[@The_Revolutionist]

Bullshit

[@nathancobb6050]

Yeah bud I'm afraid LDS has been proven wrong already. No worries, it happens to all religions.

[@wolfstorm1dn840]

huihkjhlhlhh gigkjhkhljl,pm how about you try and learn about a religion from the people actually in it rather than make your own radical opinions

[@BrookieLikesCars]

@@nathancobb6050 not all of them, just saying.

[@Red-cb4ow]

garmdian MelonKing Or maybe he’s concerned, should we call every liberal family radical when they don’t like their children getting taught facts. I was Christian I believe in the purity of the faith but I don’t believe we should judge people on their sexuality, which is why I refuse to follow it, I don’t deny deny deny and call Christianity a pro LGBT religion because it’s not. Same goes for Islam accept its not peaceful and accept not everyone is going to agree with the Quran instead of denying the truth and manipulating children into believing the lies. You’re definitely a victim to this because you’re so ignorant and naive to the facts.

[@kinshowa17]

contradistinction - great word

[@michaellawrence9209]

Tara was NOT raised a Mormon. Virtually nothing that was taught in the Westover home agrees with Church doctrine. If the Church taught what her Dad spewed, I would leave the Church too. But it does not, not in the least. She loves her "mountain" like a holocaust survivor looks back at the barracks once lived in, grateful to have survived, and grateful for the few fleeting moments of happiness found there from time to time.

[@ಇLiv]

I was raised mormon and I dont like it. I dont like the promotion of censorship, groupthink, or isolationism. When I left I had a little bit of cult like reaction from my neighborhood. Free thought is shunned in much of Salt Lake City.

[@theconductoresplin8092]

I feel like you're looking at it the wrong way (It could just be me tho)

[@derrick1707]

Great content and discussion.

[@mdgqTube]

Reminds me of that book from Summerhill...

[@sgiauque]

Contemplating Tara Westover's experience in context of l'Aventure Ambigüe by Cheikh Hamidou Kane and the exercise of critically reconciling secular and religious education and values.

[@frankk8669]

Could someone please explain some reasons behind the many downvotes?

[@garmdianmelonking5211]

Title is misleading. You look to come for a truth behind indoctrination of religious education instead you get a radicalized father and alot of technical problems.

[@turtlecreations6718]

Because Mormon are mad that they’re being revealed

[@theconductoresplin8092]

It's because people find fun in putting down pepoles religion (If we're going to hate people so much let's ban Muslims already then we don't need Jewish people Christianity you don't need it we don't need Hinduism we don't need any religion cuz we just need to hate people) It's easier than living in peace

[@sgt7]

@@turtlecreations6718 Tara said at the beginning of her book (The first lines if I remember correctly) that she does not have any negative feelings/thoughts against Mormonism. She points out that much of her hardship was due to a paranoid father and an abusive brother - both of which could exist without Mormonism. However, I personally think that Mormonism is not a very healthy form of religion (from my rather limited understanding of it). Although I have found that the Mormons I have met have always been very polite and never pushed their views on me - the same can't be said for many atheists I met.

[@nparksntx]

She’s so right! There’s a distinction between school & education. I don’t want my children institutionalized but educated so I quit teaching in the schools to homeschool my own.

[@Calypso1122]

HELP what 💀 institutionalized?

[@nparksntx]

@@Calypso1122 Meaning they are part of a system of government education

[@jackiefowler3472]

A quintessential example of Gaslighting.

[@chayblay]

Jackie Fowler how so?

[@yixiang5054]

@@chayblay the dad and brother in the book were clearly trying to be the powerful one in relationship and also not interested in different voices

[@whywhen6844]

She's 8 btw

[@patrislemair1754]

Well it looks like those parents gave their children the taste for thinking by themselves and not just absorb any bs served as the Truth.

[@zachhaus8488]

I pooped today

[@theconductoresplin8092]

:0 Me 2 :3

[@lizclegg7556]

And I guess that was your biggest achievement today.

[@twangyorpheus7891]

It’s ladder day saints, get it right

[@turtlecreations6718]

Van Latimer it’s LATTER DAY SAINTS, GET IT RIGHT!!! Also we called ourselves Mormon for a long time (I live in a small LDS town where everyone in school is LDS and we called ourselves Mormon and Mormon is the nickname of LDS because of the book)

[@theconductoresplin8092]

@@turtlecreations6718 Calm down there

[@maddogmcfly5504]

he wasnt wrong about education being infiltrated. just ask jordan peterson

[@The_Revolutionist]

Megabullshit

[@maddogmcfly5504]

@@The_Revolutionist nice well thought through response.... of course it seems like bs when youve been indoctrinated to treat a particular point of view like a religious belief system. critical thinking appears to have gone awol

[@johnnobels872]

Tvb

[@mohammedyacoubi683]

Alsa alsa

[@Noa......]

@@maddogmcfly5504 Jordan Peterson? Ha.

[@Dreammaster695]

Now we are in the end of the world I guess her parents was right after all haha

[@clarestucki5151]

I very much enjoyed Tara's book, but I see no hope for a sequel. I doubt that her writing skill will transfer to other genres. She's now stuck with becoming a university history professor.

[@KvDenko]

I really hope for a sequel in like 30 years time. That would be so interesting

[@humongortart]

How does a radio host not know how to work a microphone? Weird. Put your mouth a little closer to the "mouth sound catcher," my dear...

[@chuckschickbaldtacos]

Boooooo!!!!!!

[@calebowen5889]

Fake af lds not Mormon

[@turtlecreations6718]

Caleb Owen Mormon is the nickname for lds because of the Book of Mormon, everyone in my town called themselves mormon until the conference. And being ex Mormon in a Mormon town really effected me.

[@calebowen5889]

@@turtlecreations6718 lds stands for latter day saint I am Mormon and no the nickname didn't come from the book long ago there was this thing called the Mormon Battalion most of those more than men died a small town in Utah kept sending messages to the church headquarters saying we need more men hence the nickname Mormon and where did you live northern utah? What did you do to get excommunicated I lived In Utah Mormons mite be judgemental but there nice

[@turtlecreations6718]

Caleb Owen I am the great grandson of John Taylor the profit I didn’t get ex communicated I just left “inactive” because I don’t believe it anymore but I think I know more history than you lol

[@calebowen5889]

@@turtlecreations6718 doubtful I lived In Utah for many years active lds then still am have heard the more men story from many a church historian but hey if you the jack Mormon think your more versed in church history then I am who am I to rain on your parade? P.s. if you don't request your name to be taken out of church records in salt lake your still a member. But don't be too hasty I find as we get closer to death we (people as a whole) try to get closer to God even if you don't have a testimony church is church is it really that bad to want good morals and family values?

[@theconductoresplin8092]

Lds and morman are the same thing

[@danielkearney4160]

I thought I liked this channel. Come to find out it's just more propaganda. Done.

[@wolfstorm1dn840]

huihkjhlhlhh gigkjhkhljl,pm honestly who hurt you, like what is your problem

[@THESEADOG82]

Good point. I am gone. Been influenced by Marxism!!!!!!!! And you know that. It's the truth . And u still got a worthless college degree lol

[@mariagalleriaxi8632]

Oh no.....RELIGIOUS content. PROPAGANDA, REEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

[@theconductoresplin8092]

If you choose to look at everything like that Your loss

[@꾸기-o1h]

yo get a fucking life. ive seen you on almost every single video over her. it's annoying to see you repeatedly. like do you have a crush or something? go do something productive with your life instead of wasting it with something literally no one cares a fuck about.

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[@sophiehills4760]

For more info [phone]

[@zacharyjones4343]

To bad the interviewer is more interested in grinding through her list of questions and not really listening to Tara’s responses and letting the interview flow accordingly, a potentially interesting interview

[@THESEADOG82]

You don't need school, Education at home with Technology is so much better!!!!!! ..

[@flayrekapperz7862]

Would you go to a self-taught lawyer ? Probably not right ? Then why would you think that a self-taught teacher would do better than someone trained for it ? I studied primary teaching for 2 years (out of 4) and it's not that easy to understand what children need to learn and the most efficient way for them to learn. How do you know your child will have learned all they need if they want to keep studying at university or else ? Learning and school is not just about learning facts or the like. It should mostly be about learning skills like reading, information extraction, information integration, teamwork, social skills, etc. One advantage is that your child would have more attention, but I don't think it outweights the benefits. I also would say that the american education system needs a lot of work to make it better. These days, even where I live, classrooms are getting huge with like 30 kids or more. It's impossible to give the kids enough attention in this environnement. Especially if you have children with "special" needs (i don't mean special needs, not sure how to say but with comportamental problems). Everyone needs to make sure their politicians have the children's well-being in mind.

[@XOPOIIIO]

Your father saved you from illuminati, how ungreatful you are!

[@XOPOIIIO]

@Proud Murtadd, There's no conspiracy theories, this term was invented by illuminati to muck the truth.

[@lmartinez891]

Another trump's brainwashed minion.

[@garmdianmelonking5211]

@@lmartinez891 r/whoosh

[@KvDenko]

Love this 😂

[@c8Lorraine1]

This is so boring ! I’m LDS and home schooled my son. He’s happy and employed ! No sweat

[@amelian9677]

Then your family is clearly very different from hers, as she herself pointed out the multiple times that she clarified that mainstream Mormon parents are not like her father. I was also homeschooled and have adequate social and job skills, therefore I realize her comments are not applicable to me, choose not to interpret them as a personal insult, and enjoy learning from her story.

[@kavkazking1367]

Well his father is right about the illuminati tho

[@SwordsmanRyan]

Anne McElvoy, appropriately, has a face for radio. I still enjoy her voice but her visage wasn't what I expected from listening to the podcasts. I'm saddened that she grabbed onto this anti-patriarchy/ anti-religion narrative, while Tara (who's rather fetching) was really talking about making education a pleasant experience and letting kids find passion in school. I'm not a fan of FLDS like I'm not a fan of the Taliban, but I encourage people to choose how they want to live and raise their kids even if their Millenarian beliefs make no practical sense. America, unlike Britain, is a free country. We have to allow parents to not teach their kids or we're really just a totalitarian state.

[@gerlan1234to]

'Anne McElvoy, appropriately, has a face for radio. I still enjoy her voice but her visage wasn't what I expected from listening to the podcasts'...wow, you should be ashamed. I hope you don't teach children to make comments like this.

[@silvasilvasilva]

If other kinds of child abuse are not tolerated, letting children in ignorance shouldn't be either. As for being free... well.

[@margiecarter4975]

I'm so laughing when she says that her brothers fought their way out of the ignorance that they were raised with and I'm thinking you've got to be kidding me do you have any kids with really actually like to live and not have to go to school and I hear no gratitude for what her parents did for her at least I didn't physically beat her all the time or chain her up and put her in a closet she can't even keep her story straight about what went on cuz in one interview it's a different than another interview so take her story with a grain of salt please

[@Cynthia-Landers]

@margie carter I can tell you never read the book, dearie.

[@zacharyjones4343]

To bad the interviewer is more interested in grinding through her list of questions and not really listening to Tara’s responses and letting the interview flow accordingly, a potentially interesting interview