What are Universities for?

[@elainekatherinelenehan5668]

As a Therapist it is astonishing to me how many "educated "people come to me for help in the areas mentioned here anxiety, relationships, authenticity its revolutionary to think we could actually have centres for the study of these things WOW..what a thought. Great little clip.

[@7kudos]

I bet the words, "not enough" is subjugated within the practical terms for these "educated people." Without a doubt, having things centered is a fine truth. With that, I am sure other diabolical studies beyond both advanced and general within these systems, cannot be thought at school uniformed. Such as the momentum of practice, mathematical scripts, and in more arbitrary terms, balance of well rounded minds; intellects.... with singular environmental subjects, and aficionados whom preform better than presumed, more or less hard to find. That in it itself is truly easy to find if some people take their time scheduling.

[@Juan-kd5nz]

I would love to assist to a university with those departments but who will pay you for those knowledges?

[@robin9339]

Nirvanas Fox ed

[@matthewkopp2391]

Freud once proposed the expansion of psychology to culture. It may have been too narrow of a vision, but this was attempted in the 20th century. This idea however was attacked from all sides. Karl Popper famously refuted Psychoanalytic practice for being unfalsifiable and therefore pseudoscience. Religious conservatives for rejecting God. From feminists for being sexist. From the gay movement for being homophobic. Etc. Etc. And psychiatry tried to dismiss psychoanalytic therapy all together. What I see in USA academia (I have an MFA) is a refusal of real discourse and research in areas difficult to falsify. In Germany Psychoanalysis did not claim itself to be a pure science instead they called it a Wissenschaft which is inaccurately translated as “science”. But in German it really means research/discourse. It is not separate from the humanities either. The word for “humanities” in German is Geisteswissenschaften which roughly translates as “Spiritual research/discourse”. The English Academic model was extremely narrowed by Locke and Hume who emphasized only concrete empiricism. The traditional academia won’t even acknowledge Kant “the critique of Pure reason”, in fact the British have routinely attacked Kant as a threat. And Kant is the underlying foundation of Freud and Jung and psychology in general.

[@Peter-mj6lz]

That’s interesting because whilst I think uni is good it also tells you that you have to fit in a box or be a certain way which will cause anxiety and stress.

[@ThePeaceableKingdom]

"Colleges are places where pebbles are polished, and diamonds are dimmed." ----- Robert G. Ingersoll (look him up, people!) in correspondence to Abraham Lincoln...

[@ampeirebridgette3092]

Thank you🙏

[@bigredracingdog466]

Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Einstein, Fermi, and Hawking all went to university. Those kinds of quotes are clever, but also rubbish.

[@bigredracingdog466]

@NothingSpecial Genius is what happens when innate ability meets education.

[@kimcarson4219]

@@bigredracingdog4662024 and we still need the same old university? We need an actual university where its purpose was to actually help students to get information and education, not just giving us difficult tasks and make ourselves self study by forcing us into a presentation project. We’re here to learn, not to do tasks or to hear our classmates talk in front of us

[@brozoski]

As a University student, I feel like it is a place where a bunch of young people can safely gather to learn the same formulas and history lessons over and over again. In my opinion, it's a place where most young people go to because they have absolutely no idea of what to be in their lives. They all just want to earn some good money after they finish their "studies" (which they probably won't do, anyway). I'm seriously considering dropping University as I feel like I can learn more about myself and how I want to lead my life outside of my studying hours...

[@newdove8113]

I have no idea what to do with my life, either.

[@brozoski]

Yaaas Man It's tough, and for me personally, it's really disappointing given how much my parents believed in me and my capabilities to become a "doctor" or an "engineer". I'm the oldest of four siblings so I also feel that pressure. I'm pretty sure my younger sisters don't look up to me, it really feels bad. However, since I wrote that comment I've taught myself not to use absolutes any more. Or at least I'm trying no to, except when I have objective evidence for what I want to say. I've come to know some students who actually like going there and who are genuinely interested in their courses. That's not the case for me and, probably, for a lot of people too. Anyways, I'm sure all of us eventually find out what we like to do and, most importantly, how we want to keep doing that. We just have to keep looking everywhere, all the time. It may even be something "unimportant" to us, who knows? Best wishes, Yaaas Man :D

[@carmensolano5046]

Julio César García Mendiola same i have been really frustrated bc of university i think that as soon as the semester ends i'll enter another career and then i'll try to move on. The system is what makes me want to drop out mostly

[@brozoski]

Carmen solano I've been thinking about my situation and have finally found a solution to my problem, a solution that won't throw me into a strictly arranged path, but one that will eventually give me the opportunities to develop activities that I really enjoy. There's this one thing my parents taught me (among other things) that I feel is absolutely possible for anyone to do: the student makes the University and not the other way around. And they themselves are quite good examples of that lesson. I know that there'll always be obstacles that, as students, we'll have to overcome even if they are completely unjustified, but that's kind of the whole point of that little tip. Just choose something that you feel naturally comfortable at (don't think about others this time) and do your best at it. Last semester was a nightmare for me, I really mean it. It was terrible, but one needs to be sincere to oneself, you know? I'm not qualified to give advice on academic issues to anyone but that's what I've found to work for myself. I hope everything works out well for you, Carmen solano ! :)

[@jadisjoy]

Julio César García Mendiola What can I say, I am so related to your feelings and situation, and I'm in one of the most difficult times of my life...don't know if I could get myself out of this.

[@maxradke2189]

Universities: "Oh ye$, we totally care$ about$ your future and ed$uca$ion, we are only here$ to provide a rea$onably pri$ed ed$uca$ion!"

[@safiyyah113]

Hell ye$

[@MrDendor]

+max radke no € in germany ;)

[@maxradke2189]

+MrDendor gut€n tag€, wir b€st die gr€ss shul€, und wir haben si€ gut ed€uca€tion. wilst du kauft€?€?€€?

[@MrDendor]

what the fuck? :D

[@Davao420]

+max radke that depends on where you're from. I live in Norway and education is free, from preschool to higher education. You even get a loan and 40% can be converted into a grant if you pass your exams. I'm sorry the universities in your country is a money-making scheme. I hope you vote for politicians who are interested in changing that system. I hope you do your part and vote, and not just complain.

[@nubymizer]

As a university student (nursing student) I have found myself reading so much literature in the massive library. I will miss that after graduation. Connect whatever you study to humanism.

[@tomlahr9372]

How to think, not how to live, which you cannot teach to anyone. You can point in a direction, but you cannot mold people like clay.

[@ahundredbroken4644]

Tom Lahr I concur.

[@nigelhoudini6284]

You can mold. It is being done everyday to children.

[@xerus7425]

Nigel Francis exactly. That's what our current school system is doing: performance, performance, performance we don't learn about collaboration, relationships, taxes or anything useful, we are just expected to perform. By the time people get out of school, most of them are molded. Only a few awaken and start questioning the school system, most complain but don't even bother with alternatives because school taught them linear thinking

[@galek75]

​@@nigelhoudini6284Only those with the drive to learn, learn. That's why children are so malleable. They have this tendency to learn already, so stop confusing cause for affect.

[@AdonanS]

I always thought Universities taught you how to survive, not how to live.

[@miriammcdonald9594]

Oh

[@User-wj3qs]

Thats school

[@SkyFoxTale]

I recommend the essay "The Idea Of A University" by John Henry Newman

[@GustavoHJ6]

I was about to ask for sources on the topic. Thank you, person from the past.

[@charlescol34]

"St." John Henry Newman

[@WeirdCrazyShortGuy]

What are universities for? Acquiring massive debt.

[@tahah.babikir7698]

Mike Soluna Lmfo

[@revolter7094]

LOL I'm too European to understand this.

[@canalcomstyle5553]

@@revolter7094 UK says hello

[@silvers2211]

Wait Americans don't have state fund colleges? Guess I have to be thankful here in Philippines my college is free. All you need to do is pass the interview and two exams (fairly easy) and your college will be free until you graduate.

[@zxera9702]

@@silvers2211 no wayy

[@Christopher_Gibbons]

I long for the days when universities existed do the pure pursuit of knowledge. Modern universities are little more than overgrown trade schools.

[@andrewhunter7552]

Studying subjects like history, art, philosophy, literature, art, music or psychology is as close as we can possibly come to addressing the more personal questions addressed in this video. Ultimately life is a journey of self-discovery so to be thought how to live in a classroom setting will never work. The best we can hope for is that the lessons we learn in university can be interpreted and applied to our understand our own lives. The way I see it is that we learn the way we learn to make the things we feel feel more tangible.

[@AnnBoylen]

There needs to be a course on the meaningless of life and the inherent pitfalls of chasing wealth.

[@andrews902]

Everybody learns those lessons by their 30th birthday if not on a conscious level then certainly on a subconscious level.

[@dead7781]

Yes, I agree, but also how to create your own meaning in life.

[@daviswang6626]

It would be amazing for you to actually start an institution that teaches these things-a brick and mortar school of life. The demand is very high and it would provide a great benefit to the world. Start raising funds and I'm sure thousands of people will be throwing money at you based on the strength of your youtube channel alone.

[@daviswang6626]

cool!

[@mydearbea]

Davis Wang at first it sounds like a life coaching center but yeah I agree!

[@ZiomekPatrykC]

aren't they actuaclly doing this? I mean The School of Life, they do some local activities (can't think of a better word) in real life

[@GoatOfTheWoods]

Mr Alain de Botton, you are doing a very courageous and powerful move with your journey. In a busy world, your channel is a haven of reason and finding. Thus, i whish for you to continue on speaking with our minds, minds so feeble while facing the internet, minds so shallow when questioning the innerself. All my - and our -respect, dear sir. You are not doing this in vain!

[@mariawesley7583]

Let's be honest. Universities are places for privileged people to connect with other privileged people who can open doors for them. It's all about networking.

[@shenjiebao2876]

true

[@bigredracingdog466]

Universities have been the great leveler of society in the U.S. in the past 75 years. 1000s of men who returned from WWII went to college on the GI Bill. Men from families that could never have afforded a college education became affluent enough to send their own children to college.

[@BagoGarde]

Nowadays people think the reason to go to Uni is to get a job. Many people believe being able to get trained for a job is more important than getting an "education". We become like machines learning only one thing to repeat in a job.If the job disappears we become worthless.

[@BagoGarde]

In my country Mauritius , whenever academics lecture students about the importance of Education and not just being trained in a specific task (that may one day become obsolete) , students completely disagree. The idea of being eligible for a job far more prevails than the willingness of student to learn be it for pleasure or for self improvement. Anyway thanks for replying to the comments , it creates a good relationship between the content producer and the audience.

[@leonardevangelistis1747]

Bago Garde Capitalism exploits the populace and turns them into money machines.

[@Majoofi]

At their worst, universities are holding tanks keeping people out of the workforce. Folk get to go into deep debt for this opportunity. At their best they are places where the affluent get to make contacts and meet the right people to ensure their place in society, and therefore assure their financial success.

[@andrewkadziolka9990]

+Majoofi that's a very pessimistic way to look at things.

[@podcasts.3560]

I believe that one of the best things about studying in an university is that it renders you a "professional learner". It's like that your job is to study,think and get yourself cultivated in general. So under the "excuse" that you are an university student, you actually have the time and "social justification" to contemplate on your life and improve your philosophy.

[@bradhuygens]

Your personality is the most volatile in your late teens/early twenties while your brain is still growing. University ensures you re being surrounded by new info and new perspectives/people while you undergo this important period of change

[@joescott]

I wonder if there are any alternative universities out there that do focus on these more personal, bigger-picture issues.

[@joescott]

BOOM! :) Seriously, this is one of my new favorite channels. Keep up the good work.

[@quintessenceSL]

Joe Scott Gent I know, militant atheist type, is actually attending church for the sense of community. Back in the day, fraternal orders were big, salons, and even some internet communities who focused on other things than LOLs. Putting this in the prevue of universities reeks of classism, not even considering the anti-intellectualism and indoctrination common to several universities. Might be better to find a cheap place to live, plant your flag, and wait for others to follow. Epicurus had the right idea.

Chase Gordon "If you truly want to be an individualist you don't need to own property you just go out and be a hermit in the woods." That gave me a little chuckle. It's really quite the irony so many Libertarians and Right-wingers talk about individualism and self-determination, but their actions, philosophy, and teleology seem very much conformist in that they conform with each other. You are right. If they truly wished to be individuals, then they wouldn't push everyone or each other to conform with their way of thinking or impose the status quo. They would take a page from Atlas Shrugged, go on strike, and live as hermits on public land to show us how it's really done. Anyway, Libertarians seems to be an interesting bunch. They seem to be of different schools of thought when it comes to profit and property. Some think our property rights come from god, and rich people just happen to be above everyone by His grace. Some believe in a Social Darwinist, Hobbesian approach to rights and property. It is a war of all against all, and those who come out on top are good human stock, worthy of breeding and consuming the weak. There are others who believe in an Anarcho-Capitalist system. In other words, we own only what we can hold on to, and that some how, miraculously there will be a perfect "volunteer" system that will be better than anything we have had before. I am guessing people who think this is a good idea have no clue how barter works or that you can still starve to death if you have nothing to trade, baring stealing what you need.

[@thegoodlydragon7452]

Joe Scott You mean like whether you'd like one hug or two?

[@michaelmcneil4168]

+Joe Scott If someone had all the answers he would be out of uni making megabucks doing it rather than teaching lies to children. Either that or starving to show a good example. Such edifices started out as government think tanks for the King's Advisors not as alternatives to religion they were bastions of blinkered religion. Originally they were the magic practicing priests.

[@Ninja9191]

Although universities may not teach us how to live, I feel like it's helped me figure out who I want to be and how I should treat others. But maybe it's just me 'growing up', or having to deal with others more often in difficult situations. Anyways, great video.

[@mh1ultramarine]

Ninja9191 So the problem is that no one grows up anymore. You might be right.

[@K0ragg]

Capitalism ain't got no time for this. Universities like those of History, Literature and Philosophy tend to be stuck in themselves and the history of each domain...rather than trying to improve your creativity. Then there are the demands of the market...

[@electricant55]

K0ragg Sure, blame it on capitalism, because people starving during Holodomor or slaving for their feudal lords had it sooo much better

[@ketsan]

K0ragg Except that Universities are rampant centres of anti-capitalism and are separated from the market: they're government funded. You can trawl through the arts and humanities and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone who believes in the free market. Also figure in that most of these degrees cost tens of thousands and yet have no market value and the fact that there are so many people with PhDs that we can use them as TAs. Student unions are overwhelmingly hard left wing organisations and they've been successfully pressuring universities to change the curriculum since the 1960's. None of this is market driven. The problem isn't capitalism, most of the 19th century universities were built by capitalists, as Buckley points out in Man and God at Yale the older universities used to teach the superiority of the free market and Western culture in general. The problem now is that universities are full of lecturers who see their job as being to at least cater to their radically left wing students if not actually radicalise them to start with. They'd rather teach Critical Theory than critical thinking, If we decided that we were going to cut the universities free from the apron strings of the state and academics actually had to convince people to part with their own money then we'd see a massive cultural change. Universities might actually start worrying about making people's lives better.

[@MrThwor]

ketsan My man chill, there is no need to perform your anti-Marx monologue every time someone says "Capitalism bad". Frankly I think seeing this problem as an economic one is extremely superficial both government funded and privately funded universities have this same problem, I think its more of a problem of assurance, you can't assure people that there will be an answer to the meaning of life like you can say that 2+2=4, most activities in the humanities have a looming undertone of nihilism, when you pose a question in physics you know there will be an answer in the humanities that is not the case it might be that life has no meaning at all, this leads a lot of people to just not ask that question.

[@ketsan]

Rodrigo de Toni Didn't mention Marx.

[@K0ragg]

***** So what? If others have it worse it means capitalism is all great and fine? I ment those universities tend to teach you things that aren't actually useful or demanded in the current market. Admittedly, they have great cultural and intellectual benefits, or at least can for those that use the knowledge wisely, but the prospects of a career are much more slim than in other departments, which sucks. I am not blaming capitalism completely, I am blaming the way capitalism always looks for profit and productivity, which led to people nowadays disregarding anything that doesn't directly involve making money at some point. Which, again, sucks. I did word it poorly or incompletely, capitalism can be further improved rather than just changed with something new, but I don't know...Right now, it just depresses me how indiferent people are to these domains...I hope once I start going to college I will find people who share my passion for History...

[@RicardoSosaOnline]

This is why access is SO important. Also, "disciplines" need to play a less central role. A good video, thank you.

[@Elibel77]

As a PhD student in history, I should feel anxiety over this depiction of Academia. But I actually adore how your clips position history as the 'mind nourishing' / 'psychoanalysis of mankind' discipline it should be! Bravo!

[@TheZarkoc]

Am I the only one who thinks that such a systems would end up being a catastrophe especially if implemented today.

[@TheZarkoc]

Zarko Cekovski I'd personally rather have a separate institution that will teach life skills and another that just teaches career related studies. I've had experiences where teachers try to bring "wisdom" into the classroom and it just ends up either as pointless gossip or propaganda.

[@logictruth1]

Zarko Cekovski That is because such things must be firstly taught by people specialized for this, secondly people who are better trained on how to educate professionally with convincing rhetoric and thirdly in a facility that allows connection between students and teachers/professors while discouraging isolation and distance. People who try to touch on subjects that require emotions or anything not related to the students future professions in a place where distance is the norm will always be ridiculed because that's not what you are expected to do. It's like having the cook at the restaurant decide to do stand up comedy instead. You must know the right place and time for those things where people will be willing to listen. An institution that does both can exist but it must be expected to reach the audience.

[@SirSpinach]

John Smith very well said

[@logictruth1]

Steven H. Wang Thanks. :)

[@logictruth1]

Marshmallow920 We might be moving forward but in what direction? What is the purpose of advancement if it doesn't make us happy? And if we never focus and investigate on what makes us happy then how will we ever get there? And why do you equate socialism with planed economies?

[@omarashry007]

In my experience, university hits you with a extra large dose of reality. You failed a course? Who cares. You are having trouble studying? Who cares. You are feeling lonely? Who cares. That’s right, nobody has the capacity to care about you and nothing is “given” to you. You have to TAKE IT. Failed a course or having trouble studying? Study SMARTER. Lonely? GET OUT THERE. It’s a hint at what life is like as an adult. Yes, you are free when you are an adult but you have to learn to deal with things on your own, don’t depend on others much as they are dealing with their own things. Don’t depend on anyone for happiness, find your own happiness and exude that happiness onto others to attract them.

[@michaelinzo]

Thanks you for sharing this !! This is very insightful and profound, I agree, university or colleges “help us to make a living” in the future but it also teaches us “how to live” this is immensely insightful.

[@The1stClassVillain]

I went for political science. They just focused on the subject matter. Not all of the rest of these life questions and so forth.

[@laurenlutz8933]

This video is wonderful. During one of my many sessions with my therapist in which I was panicking about the potential bleakness of my future and uselessness of my degree, she would always say: If college teaches anything, it teaches you HOW to think. It revolutionized my way of thinking about university and education in general. Until the university utopia described in this video exists, my advice: study psychology, especially personality development theory. Mind blowing material.

[@theearlofsandwich5390]

What are Universities for? - Turning human beings into parrots.

[@EuropeanQoheleth]

Says a guy subscribed to anti-sjw channels.

[@LordProteus]

@@EuropeanQoheleth Despite that, what he said was not wrong.

[@shenjiebao2876]

partially agree

[@miguelpasamano6445]

@@EuropeanQoheleth which makes what he said even more believable coming from him

[@matthewkopp2391]

“All cough in ink, all think what other people think.” - WB Yeats I agree that universities should have higher standards of research and inquiry. Students need to be challenged more. There are several problems of departmental conformity and isolation from other research areas. Today we have such great communication abilities because of the internet there is no longer an excuse for it. There are other problems too. When writing an MFA thesis in the USA, I found references revealing the influence of Carl Jung on Deleuze. I could not get the material from the library because the book sold from an academic publisher for over $1K an outrageous price. I reached out to the author who agreed to just photocopy one chapter and send it to me. I went to Germany recently and they recently passed a law that if a student writes a thesis in school receiving public funds then the public has joint ownership of that research. Also in Germany if I attend one school I have access to the lectures and libraries of all schools. In the USA schools act like competitive kingdoms. It is dysfunctional in a democracy and enlightenment based society.

[@tylerdurden2061]

Universities are paper factories. Make sure to get good (useful) print though!

[@jadisjoy]

Tyler Durden Wow! Tyler Durden

[@Tinkering4Time]

I learned more about the big questions at a community college than what time I have spent at a university.

[@Sandsack2311]

I am always intrigued to read the comment section, when a video has about 10% downvotes. This time again it was pleasant to read the discourse.

[@constantinela8852]

As someone who likes this channel and went back to Uni to get his masters in philosophy, the video underplays how many classes are about these questions. Sure, my undergrad years didn’t really cover these question but I also went to a research university. At this regional university, we ask those questions all the time and discuss them all the time. Finally, the video leaves out mentors, who can help us navigate life. Yes, intellect does help one navigate life but a mentor definitely can. I recommend everyone find a mentor who has more experience in whatever area you’re interested in. It truly helps.

[@henkpietjaaphein1122]

After my bachelors degree in mathematics i struggled to continue because i felt like there was this massive absence of education on philosophy and ethics on the things that students learn. This video covers this very well. In my (limited) experience, universities do not care at all for these topics, which in itself would not be bad, but it is considering the world thinks they do.

[@jorenbosmans8065]

Universities shouldn't teach you how to live or solve your issues. They get you ready to become an expert in the field you studied and how to think in that field. If you want to know how to live, look for answers in your life.

[@Holiday-sDad]

You learn it on your own in a community of education, that’s the point

[@twiface69]

Universities in the United States are really just glorified High Schools that make students memorize textbooks just to pass standardized tests. Instead of being the places of higher learning and self actualization that they used to be, they're turning into businesses intent on enrolling as many students as they can and not really caring what happens to them as long as they get their tuition checks every term. So, after four years of rote memorization and skill training, you end up with 20 years of debt and a piece of paper that's completely worthless because everybody else has one too. So, unless you want to work at Starbucks for the rest of your life, you have to go to graduate school and do it all over again...

[@ljay3379]

I agree with you 100%. I took a year of from school, because I needed to figure out if university is right for me. My mom and other family members think I should go, which is a source of tremendous pressure, but deep down inside, I know how pointless it is. I know that graduating culminates to nothing more than a piece of paper with my name on it. It has no true value. The world is moving more toward self-employment/entrepreneurship and that's what I truly want for myself. But at the same time, I'm haunted by people's unspoken expectation of me...It's so difficult.

[@saraf5414]

@@ljay3379did you go to uni then?

[@ljay3379]

@@saraf5414 No, I didn't and overall I am glad that I didn't. My only advice would be that if you decide not to go to University, make sure that you still make it a priority to meet new people. One thing that college IS good for is putting you in a pool of potentially intellectual and ambitious people. BUT obviously, that is not worth accumulating debt over nor is college the only way to make these same caliber friends. Go to meetups, volunteer, participate in travel groups etc. I 100% stand by what I said 2 years ago. You absolutely don't need college. Just make sure you are proactive to enrich your life as much as possible with new people and experiences.

[@rabbi619]

@@ljay3379 You are right meeting new people and having great experience is also good.

[@kaninma7237]

We need to supplement university requirements with courses like the ones mentioned here. I would never, for example, advocate eliminating the study of a certain amount of history from the general studies requirements for a degree. Adding courses like those presented here, though, to a degree plan for all students, well, that strikes me as a good idea. Maybe 15 credits of life enhancement courses.

[@Tyrmund]

I thought they meant not to simply dismiss the subject matter of traditional study programs, but rethink the way they are organized to better address the fundamental questions they mentioned.

[@andrewkadziolka9990]

I find this channel to be extremely useful for clarifying and developing thoughts and ideas. Thank you for making these videos.

[@CreyLA93]

On the other hand though, has the internet not taken this role? This is a place where you can find a lot of answers to these things, just look at this channel and others like it! Sometimes when big questions such as relationships and death are discussed, the answer is usually different for each individual. So to go to a place, where a lot people gather to express themselves, might give this sense of "center of knowledge". Unfiltered knowledge though !

[@TheNinerion]

wow... I don't know what to say. I am stunned, my jaw actually dropped watching this. I don't think I've ever heard anything I disagree with more! If you will, please accept my criticism. 1) "culture replacing scripture." OK, so first of all you assert that this is the "original promise" of universities. What could possibly make you think that? As if those two were mutually exclusive things rather than two entirely separate and independent concepts. Culture and scripture have existed side by side for a long time. They still do, and they probably won't stop doing so. Even among medieval Europe there are a huge variety of different cultures that also stick to the same religion and scripture. Further, many universities are very old. Older than the enlightenment period, so the "original promise" of universities cannot have anything to do with what you said. 2) What are universities for then? Well you say that on the surface they are for teaching and training people to perform some sort of job, but on a deeper level they are about "how we should live" and such questions. To my mind, these are both completely mistaken. Universities are centres of knowledge and learning. Knowledge and learning are inherently valuable to society at large and individuals in them. A learned society is better equipped to prosper. The discovery, transmission and safe keeping of knowledge is what universities are for. 3) Here is what universities are NOT for: Universities are not for catering to your individual and frankly self-centred problems like "how can I deal with my anxiety?" or "how can I make relationships better." Those are of course important questions, but they are for the individual to deal with, not for society or universities to concern themselves with. Are you suggesting future universities toss out Plato and Aristotle and Shakespeare and Kant in favour of "let's learn about our feelings 101" ?! This is nothing but silly. 4) In conclusion, this video seems to reveal a strong bias towards what I would call "tumbler feminist 'I want society to deal with my problems,' anti-liberal and possibly authoritarian social justice." Granted, this might not be the case, but I'm getting a strong feeling that it is. Another indicator of this is of course that the figurines you use are a black man and a black woman. Nothing wrong with that, but it suggest that I am indeed right about the bias here. Thanks for reading, I hope someone will respond with something interesting!

[@SuperSteveez]

TheNinerion agree with you. i think there is a problem with this video is that it clames the future university tell you how to live. collage is for lering and understanding the scienses. but how you live you live your life is up to you based on you experiance. I think this video is more targeting forums from ancient greece where there where more dicussions on philosofi and things like that. it can be qute dangurus to have course on reslationships ect i think that you need to lern that on your own or some day you might just wake up and find your self living a lie created and thought by someone els.

[@SoyElta]

TheNinerion "Are you suggesting future universities toss out Plato and Aristotle and Shakespeare and Kant in favour of "let's learn about our feelings 101" ?! This is nothing but silly. " I am under the impression that the goal of the school of life is to use the philosophers and the writer you mentioned to help people explore: psychology (feelings), morals, philosophy etc in ways that will help them. It is a question of applying the ideas found in these great works. Why learn anything if you are not going to apply it? You say that university is for knowledge, yes but knowledge for what? We have to apply this things somewhere for it to have meaning and purpose.

[@TheNinerion]

SoyElta First of all, I think that universities are for knowledge. How that knowledge is applied in your personal life is and always has been your own thing. Of course, in applied physics you learn how to apply theoretical concepts etc. and build experiments. In engineering you learn how to build all kinds of gizmos. I think the hard sciences should somewhat be left out of this discussion because it seems more relevant to the humanities. You are right to ask what that knowledge is for. To this there can be several answers: 1) it could be a good in itself 2) it could be instrumental to some other good 3) it could simply be interesting All of these may be true, but it varies from person to person and from individual and societal perspectives. To simply claim knowledge has to be applied somehow (and btw, let me tell you exactly how) and that is why we need to change something about present day universities is both misguided and potentially dangerous. The video specifically states that in future universities you will not learn about some ancient philosophers or deal with 19th century history, but rather learn about how to deal with anxiety etc. What if I WANT to learn about 19th century history? I mean, that is generally the reason people choose to study what they study, because they want to. This is where my authoritarian worry comes in. Why not let people choose to pursue whatever the hell they want to pursue, instead of telling them how future universities WILL or SHOULD be.

[@maria-delrincon]

TheNinerion I agree with you 1-3. Point 4 doesn't really interest me. But I think Universities should be a mix... Obviously we need culture (in the video, at the end, it does seem to be rejected for those self-centred problems...), but it is true we can't just learn those cultural things without learning how they relate to the present time problems or situations. When you know about the past, you can understand the present and have some intuitions about the future.

[@SoyElta]

TheNinerion Great response. I can see what your line of thinking is. However, I don't think the video is suggesting banning schools from their current method of teaching, but suggesting an alternative form that they would like to see. And even if they were planning on banning certain types of teaching, it is not very likely to happen. Western universities have been around since 1088 and all change has come at a snails pace I doubt we are going to see any drastic change in the way universities are run any time soon, for better or worse. If schools deviate too much from the current methods they are seen as "mickey mouse" schools. It is a real prestige drop to be too different so change is slow.

[@Mariofan7]

I love the editing on your videos so much! Everytime they're well done :)

[@borinsroy3614]

yes, the ultimate goal of learning is to know and live a life you want.

[@easycakesoulad7973]

I cheated my way out of a university... thank god there is google to review all the lessons after i graduated.

[@johnacord5664]

I learn about life through Country Music.

[@isaacespinoza2259]

I do believe some of the big questions asked in the video are questions that if not able to be answered in a classroom, then one who surly wants to find the answers to these questions can do so in their free time. From my own experience I can say I have found my own answers to a few of the questions mentioned.

[@MrThwor]

But if Universities did that why would I come to this channel? ;)

[@makercrysis]

Yup so true dude

[@electricant55]

Rodrigo de Toni School of Life is like the witchers, it makes itself less and less needed as the resultat of it's deeds ;)

[@jannert8889]

bruh you aren't even 'out of the box' anymore. You are so far away from it, it's eerily inspiring.

[@liamlyons6259]

This channel cured my anxious disposition about where I was going with my life and I can't thank you guys enough. No one ever taught me in school not to judge my value in monetarist or even academic terms, and now I encourage my friends to value meaning over money at times, and I think we're all a bit happier for it, even if it's only an hour or so

[@ElricAlchemistLena]

You should make "what schools are for?" Because I am stil looking for an explantion x_x

[@AlucardNoir]

Helena Gouveia Schools are there to frankly indoctrinate you into becoming a good citizen and member of society. And if you thinks that's bad though, you might want to apply those school taught reading skills to a few history books.

[@ElricAlchemistLena]

***** But you not necessarily need school to bet educated. A good example of that is that in 17th and 18th centuary there were particular teachers who were teaching personaly people in what they want to know and not really obligating them to know things.

[@computerlover9290]

I mean What is even life for?

[@anna.t._7224]

I feel like university is only there to prove you are smart for employment. Otherwise, apart from networking, it’s a huge waste of time. It makes you not like learning the same way school does. Albert Einstein himself did not enjoy the way exams were structured and university temporarily stunted his interest in physics.

[@tomlahr9372]

This is education as self help and therapy. You can get that at Barnes and Noble.

[@dalearasa5491]

Hi! Let me just say, I'm one of your biggest fans! It's just amazing what you do! Philosophy is one subject I really adore and you guys just keep on giving more insights about it. I wish you guys can come here in my country the Philippines and do a talk someday so I can thank you personally. I love Philosophy and your videos just fuel my passion so much more each time you guys post a video! P.S.: This is the first time I commented on a video. :D

[@Kasopea]

It pains me to see so many people leave negative videos on this subject. I for one absolutely love university and I thrive in the kind of environment it creates. I chose a social science degree (psychology) and I know I will most likely never make a ton of cash with it, but I picked a subject that I feel truly passionate about and motivated to learn. I would never regret my decision to go to university, not even with all the debt that I will be left with in the future, which mostly never gets paid off anyway.

[@donaldbowler4514]

You know, what he's actually describing is libraries. We have those democratized forms of education there/

[@thegoodlydragon7452]

Teaching people how to be more compassionate is *NOT* the role of the university. The proper role of the university is to teach people the facts and empirical methodology used to obtain truth.That's it. It is supposed to give you an understanding of how the world works, and where applicable teach you the vocabulary language and symbols you need to effectively communicate about it. It shouldn't preach to you about what you ought to think on any given subject. Social "science" professors, in my experience, do nothing but that. They say outrageous things to the class like, "You should all be feminists."

[@ichbinein123]

+The Goodly Dragon - Thank you, finally a rational comment in this echo chamber of "this video totally speaks to me lol xD". Universities are institutions for mediating empirical knowledge and critical thinking. This video's goal is a world where universities are spouting propaganda as truth, and contributes nothing constructive at all. These questions are something is found out alongside your actual education. Universities are places you study and research your vocation of choice, and a place for gathering and storing scientific research. Universities are NOT a place where you go and pat each other on the back and tell each other how to live your life. It's a guaranteed slippery slope that ends up with students brainwashing each other in a massive circlejerk. Asking other people such questions is not critical thinking, which is the cornerstone of what a university stands for.

[@KingThallion]

I think the real problem is there is not the departments, or even what people are reading, it is the professors. There is no teaching training to be a professor and professors often do not share best practices with each other. The best professors I know will tell you exactly who they learned how to be a professor from, and how they learned it. Normally professors don't care about their student's inquiry, and don't know how to react to any issues the student is having learning something. Many professors wish to have a certain amount of students pass and a certain not pass. If you are going to have a university prepare students for life you have to have the professors on board, and you have to teach that knowledge via apprenticeship (I think this is the best way to learn this). Some professors are naturally more committed to teaching than others (Example: Hubert Dreyfus listens to all the recordings of his lectures and looks for ways his students might miss what he says, and even new things he learns from his students-- this is top tier philosopher). You have to make the change in the expectation to a professor to be passionate about teaching STUDENTS, not just passionate about making neat lectures or exams. Your next video should be, what do we expect professors to do? Are they expected to 1) unveil the mystifying truths of science, economics, literature, in a way that we cannot get by reading it ourselves. OR 2) are they gatekeepers to a degree of self sufficiency and credentialing. OR 3) are they there to teach about life and how to be successful in private and public life--those deeper truths are just side projects. I think the answer is that 1) and 3) are compatible where many don't see it, and 2) is outdated.

[@KieranIsCamera]

Actually, I am at university to learn about literature. I really enjoy literature. The rest I work out for myself through lived experience whilst in the university environment - I don't need it handed down to me by academics.

[@HerveMichel-c9v]

As a conservative business-minded individual dreaming of Google and of Stanford MBA, I remember an episode of my idol Willaim F. Buckley: "University stakeholders and academics as a "class" are lefitst because they understand that in that kind of system they would be the ones running the show, setting community policy, and getting a higher return on their position within the institutional frames of the social economic arrangements. I mean these guys can brely manage themselves and what do they have to offer ...

[@NoahAndABadger]

For me uni was just continuation of school. I didn't gain any meaning. Just a first class degree in maths

[@twiface69]

Same for me, it feels just like high school, minus my parents.

[@IliyanBobev]

3:12 "to live up to their original promise" -- I'm pretty sure no one promised anything. I suspect that it's better to let the big questions be discussed in informal groups among students, rather than formal ones led by tutors.

[@BobbyBROWN329]

such 'big questions' are addressed in universities, my lectures encourage it, and teach us to apply theory to make sense of 'big questions'

[@SR-zn4ei]

This is why yoga is so important in the modern world, not just the asanas but also the theory

[@cameronknox75]

Single greatest channel I've had the pleasure of experiencing.

[@sammuel1971]

This video is spot on for me and my course (creative music technology) - in my subjective experience, university is proving just that: an imbiber of cultural mindsets - and it feels amazing. Like I am actually living.

[@euromut555]

I have been teaching in higher ed for over 20 years now, but the last 5 years alone have made it clear that much reform is needed. The movement to re-organize the curriculum of higher education around problem-solving real world and real life issues or to emphasize the Four C's (communication, collaberation, creativity, and critical thinking) is very very slow going for many reasons, but I generally agree with TSoL's assessment of university education offered here. I would add some less personal or subjective departmental titles or issues to focus on however; such as: What to do about income inequality? Social polarization? Technological change? Corporate influence on government? Labor influence on industry? Global warming?

[@Holleaux]

I'll just pay my monthly bill of high speed internet and get all my info from there. Much cheaper, faster, unrestrained. Plus I can download a lot of old textbooks for free and just start reading.

[@mayalucas9529]

To be honest, I don't really feel that there's an issue here. The things that one does learn at university (literature, history, philosophy, science etc) are given to us so that we can use them as tools in working out the big questions for ourselves. I think that being in an environment surrounded by others with these questions can help us to work them out, without them being a part of the syllabus. I'm of the opinion that finding these answers is most fulfilling when you do it yourself, though perhaps with an occasional little prod in the right direction.

[@justStardust940]

ha! the university of the future would be through the internet. no more traffic, commuting, or expensive buildings. it's already taking place with unis starting more and more online courses

[@Son0fHobs]

Apparently i went to the right universty. Departments werent named as such but the big questions were encouraged and grappled with. UNC Chapel Hill, the oldest public university in America.

[@danielandreselias3395]

But I go to university to learn about history/politics and philosophy to understand how the world works and how to improve it. And further more through history, politics and psycho-analysis we can understand the dynamics of the world power structures. At my university it is compulsory to study, ethics and philosophy and it is through these units that one can find meaning and guidance. I for example see great merit in Aristotlilian virtue ethics and dismiss Kantian Deontology as humanly impossible. Our essays asked us to tackle the big questions that this video claims that universities don't. If a person seeks to want to know more moral and ethical philosophy at least they were given a stepping stone to learn more. But that's just my university, and my experience, I am sure other universities lean towards your main criticisms. Just in case you guys are wondering this is an Australian university.

[@yoursubconscious]

For someone who decided to return back to higher education at 32 years of age, unless you need the "paper", don't bother.

[@Soytu19]

I'm so impressed with the wisdom this channel unfonds. I would say they should slow down a bit with the video production.

[@JSchaefer93]

Started University at 29 years old after working in the customer service retail industry for 10 years, occasionally I might question why I am paying for this education.. but then I experiece times where I connect and exchange ideas, opinions, thought processes, models, with people who are able to think abstractly and are open to suggestions. I meet professors that have traveled who share their experiences. Its also fairly easy to pin point the professors that are trying to make you think a specific way rather than form an opinion yourself.

[@abbasmoosvi9508]

Beautiful video! Thanks.

[@Jamieishere1]

I obtained a Biochemistry BSc from a university consistently ranked among the top 15 in the world. I learned absolutely nothing that had any apparent relevance to economic productivity... and have since forgotten the innumerable facts I memorised simply because they are irrelevant to all subsequent endeavours (tho I do work in a related industry). You'll only learn "how to live" on something like a philosophy course and that's if you're very lucky... though actually just living, while being open to new ideas (which are NOT exclusively found or generated within universities) is a vastly less resource-intensive means of achieving the same.

[@julianday]

In the 60s very few people went to universities only the odd top notch student. To the majority it was never discussed. Could it be that today’s kids are more intelligent ? There was an old saying “ you can’t teach a block of wood to be intelligent “.

[@fernito95]

I think that this idea can be achieved without the need of a certain building or structure as we know today as university, I say that to answer all these questions we just need people who are willing to ask, think and maybe answer all these trouble that are bouncing in our heads. I wouldn't pay for an university to teach me something that could be achieved by myself by reading, meditating and communicating with people around the world who have these questions or maybe they have found the answers

[@shaanesy]

I believe that universities are centres for acquiring knowledge; however, moving forward - I agree, we should mix that in with courses/classes relating to more immediate aspects of our lives such as anxiety or depression, relationships, money managing, career self-knowledge etc. All of these topics directly or indirectly affect our emotional state. I say this because we all experience life through our emotional state and having a bad emotional state can hinder learning. An ill state of mind may even lead to one ultimately dropping out of university. If universities help their students to carry out their studies in healthier mind sets, then I am confident that students will get a lot more learning done, faster, with much greater performance. They will have the guidance, goals, a well thought through strategy to execute, and the mental energy to accomplish whatever they so please. This needs to be implemented, especially in times where mental health in society is deteriorating at an alarming rate. This will give students a sense of purpose and direction, as opposed to just waddling along aimlessly at university through the years. This will be a much better preparation for the real world for students.

[@isaacespinoza2259]

If anyone wishes to learn about relationships I suggest taking a sociology class on marriage, or for those who do not have that option perhaps buying a textbook on sociology and marriage would be the way to go.

[@DualFrodo]

I don't know if life itself can be understood through structured education, if it's mostly trial and error that we learn life's lessons. Maybe we could keep these questions for our grandparents, or start schools where old people are the only teachers :P

[@dalanium98]

Oh man. From just the top few comments I've read, it seems like a lot of people disagree with this video. School of Life should make a followup video/response!

[@alexanderslotkin1570]

As a TA for an undergraduate philosophy class and an undergraduate student myself, I see the value of a School of Life and do not think there is a better time to be addressing these questions than in undergraduate universities (I try to get my students to begin asking the famous question, "Why?"). But isn't there something great about learning, say, 18th century British history or literature even if it doesn't help you solve these big questions? I always believed that we should value learning for its own sake and not necessarily what it can practically do. I am considering pursuing a PhD and would find working at an institution like the school of life intensely meaningful, but I do think that there is value in keeping some of higher education's traditional departments. As always, loved the video!

[@Huu159]

Universities already have a concept of student counselling to provide therapy style individual attention, cultural activities, sports to learn about teamwork and interpersonal relationships and studies in fields like Ethics, Philosophy, Psychology to delve into some of the questions you raised. The formal treatment of subject matter which may intimidate some students is for the purpose of consistency and to avoid chaos, and even then many professors use interesting and creative ways to teach. Maybe you meant it metaphorically, but things like Anxiety 101 etc sound very hipstery to me and would already work to the detriment of a self absorbed and mollycoddled generation. Finally, life skills just can't be fully taught, they are forged through life experience.

[@Guizambaldi]

Universities are about creating skilled labor. I think our demands for the big questions of life must be addressed since school years, and it could go into the university as parallel activities to be promoted by the campus, as debates and so on. But the core of the system is to produce scientists. Specialists.

[@DiegoJSanjuan]

thank you for this. people need to know. agree or not. this is true.

[@laxave1767]

Besides The School of Life, I see more and more organizations trying to fill the void left by the absent church and not adept universities. In the Netherlands, for example, an organization is starting called ''de Bildung Academie'', which tries to address the same issues as you are, School of Life. We live in exciting times with a huge potential for improvement on all sorts of areas. I really believe we live in a time just before the start of massive development. Lets all be optimistic and work on a better world! People of the world unite! :)

[@jonahcarter196]

2 points response to What are Universities for?I learned from this video that universities teach us how to live. the narrator was saying that universities teach us how to make a living and they play a huge part in society. I was thinking on a line the narrator said throughout the video culture would replace scripture. I liked the fact the narrator said we go to college to be taught about life and ways of life.

[@majinbouh]

just imagine if all of the universities tackled the same thing: what is anxiety, compassion and etc., the meaning of life and how to pay taxes. who would explain theory of relativity? who would go out their way to create an invention that can change the world with their background knowledge in physics, math, biology or music? who would invent a drug who can cure cancer? who would do all the things that the academics do? who would continue to ask questions about the history so pieces of it can be answered now? who would the anthropology and find the missing link? these subjects are taught at school for students to be intellectually adept and to train their logical thinking. these subject may spark their interests and pursue their careers out of this subjects. these subjects are also taught because there universal rules to them and majority of people can agree to it. finding about the meaning of life or defining it, how to be compassionate or what anxiety is varies from person to person and that is molded through life experiences that a closed university can't teach about. simply because no one has the answer to life's biggest questions. no one can fully master how to navigate life, so it cannot simply be taught in a "department of relationship or a department of career advancement". that is why these questions are learned by people themselves and not taught within the academic walls.

[@lotusmojo]

Universities is a good place for stimulating creativity and purpose of oneself, if you feel your creativity is not a good fit for the academic structure, then exit and build your own field of creativity and purpose, just ask the Gates, Zukerbergs, Pages, Elisons, Fords, Edisons.. you are your own university and you decide what universal values you want to produce..

[@freyajoannerandall9374]

whilst I agree that certain questions remain taboo at university, I put forward that the entire of my three years has been one steep learning curve of so many different life lessons. It is like riding independence with stabilisers. We can learn to accept we are introverted but can be sociable yet studious, competitive, that we can survive loneliness, heart break and fear-of-missing-out. We are forced to push ourselves out of our comfort zone, plan for and get excited about our future with a whole bunch of advisors and tutors, amidst peers who are all equally as interesting, insecure and scared as we are. It is a massive pool of friends first and foremost? League tables screw things up a bit though.

[@Col1nMC]

First: i think, people who gone through universities and succeeded do not ask this type of questions. Second: University, in all variety of "useless subjects"(as many people think), is dedicated to develop your mind in different directions. Except actual disciplines,it teaches you to think. Makes you intellectual. It teaches (i'm talking about good or great universities) how to manage your free time, with difficult situations in life (exams and such).First 4 years, bachelor degree, you develop your brain, building a base for future. When you know enough of the world, you choose which path you want to go next. Either you continue to obtain your speciality in university, or go learn it in real life application. Everything else, that raises questions, like those depicted in video, you may learn by yourself in spare time, if it's not the main goal. University partly depends on self learning too. Debts are not worth what you can get from good university in return. It's upon you, how you utilize what's given. This is difficult decision to enrol or not. That's why i disliked this video.

[@NoZAutonomy]

I'm so happy university is free in Sweden. I will be taking advantage of that for a few years

[@cazwalt9013]

Universities existed even when religion was important so I don't think that's the reason but on thing I don't like about universities is how they act as establishments and care more about money than education

[@cpengwin]

The song 'Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen' by Buz Luhrmann which was hypothetically wrote as a graduation speech would probably be of great benefit if it were structured into the university curriculum frequently.

[@braits]

Here in Chile it's really a great problem. I don't know for sure how this thing work in other countries, but here goes like these. University was ONLY for the richer class of our society, and it's has been like that since the foundation of the republic. After the 17 years of dictatorship (1973-1990) the poor people began to do everything they can do to get their childrens into University, because you got no recognition as a citizen here if you are not "professional" (for example, if you say to the police that you are a professional they surely let you go after bothering you for smoking marihuana). The problem was that, no matter how hard the majority of the population work for get their sons in University, there was no way of paying it. So the sons began to take loans from banks, to pay the career. The result was that generation get their titles by getting indebted for 20 or 30 years paying the loan. A career here cost like 4.000 - 5.000 USD a year, and has a duration like 4 or 5 years. Since 2006 and specially 2011 a huge movement from the students began to paralyzing the country to stop this situation and in some kind of way it worked. The last year a law was approved giving the 50% of the poorest social levels the possibility of studying their whole career for free whit some academic conditions. The thing is, now almost everyone is getting to college, there's a huge number of private institutions providing careers like Hairdressing or things like that which cost the same that a regular career and it can last for 3 years. Here, the careers are absurdly longer, giving you teachings that don't have an actually effect on what you want to become to be. And, the most strange and bizarre thing is, now that almost everyone can, at least, try a year or two into college, everyone is findin' out that this institutions don't filled our deeply aspirations in any way. People often get bored at college, think they suck, and yes, they're actually so far away in making people get real and important information. This situation is what I'm living right now. I'm studying Cinema in a public university, and, even when I love Cinema, i get so frustrated by going to hear teachers that actually suck, making exercises that don't have any real gratification, and trying to fill up my spirit, artistic and philosophically by myself outside of the institution. But the thing is: you really have no oportunity to make your living by being a non-professional person. And whoever think that's not actually truth, they sure have a lot of money from their parents or are irritating naive. (I'm sorry if i don't write this very well).

[@oasisneko1]

I think this video comes to the game a little late... the purpose of universities is to "build the country", not to pander to individual needs. At least, this is the idea you get from visiting university campuses. Universities do not exist to find you a job -- that's the community college, also known as the "vocational" school. No, universities are for finding a cure for cancer. Unfortunately, most people who go to university haven't a clue why they're there. It's just the thing to do after high school.

[@tharun960]

Part of building a country is building the people and individuals.. People need to learn about life and managing their minds, emotions, life and so on along with other content they learn.. Otherwise you end up with great tech and cures for diseases but people with relationship issues, mental and physical health issues and societal issues persisting and change being difficult and so on.. People who are unhappy, unfulfilled .etc. etc. ? It's like being taught the rules of the game you're forced to play in.. The game of life...

[@oasisneko1]

EXACTLY!! How can we have a democracy if people are easily fooled or feel entitled to slip into cynicism and bitterness, like our friends in Yankee-land... Education also has countless positive outcomes, like lower crime, higher productivity, better health, longevity, quality of life and so on.

[@onurgorkemgurkan1143]

What are universities for? The answer to this question has become entangled more and more with the daily concerns of the everyman. While the answer, in fact, has nothing to do with solving the problems of a social individual who is suppose to follow an ordinary course of life--that is not to say that academics do not lead ordinary lives. The university is an establishment that is there for people who "do not want to replace religion with culture as a substitute in the search of meaning for life," but for those who want to have a more refined understanding of answers brought to important questions and further those answers by hard-work and critical endeavor. A university is a place that aims to educate and furnish gifted and/or high-achieving and/or hard-working individuals who want to contribute to any of those disciplines with "big names" like mathematics, philosophy, and literature, for reasons of their own (among which I have heard "to cope with oppression" by understanding its dynamics, to cope with "boredom" by stimulating myself intellectually, to pursue human intellect in the course of history in its varieties and excellences of expression on any given subject, etc.). It is has become a common misconception after the 20th century that a university is a place where you attend to get a degree to qualify for a profession of any sort. It could not have been further from the reality. Universities are not vocational high-schools, nor are they suppose to provide individuals with guaranteed success or prosperous futures.

[@MeisterQualle]

this refers to humane disciplines which are concerned with these questions. I wish this also could be a part of subjects which mainly reproduce knowledge

[@RealLiveKakashi]

You say we need separate faculties for dealing with the troubling existentialism of life, I think the humanities already do this and they do it in the best way possible - by challenging you to think it out yourself. It will never be as easy as teaching someone else what to think, far from it(this is why religion is such an integral part of civilization and culture). But by thinking and learning , for example, about 18th century literature we not only read what they wrote about(which is what can be gained by everyone at face value), we also learn that we are not alone in this world, we get to know how these people perceived life, what was important to them, etc., and most of us start to reflect on ourselves, which is when we truly learn how to be human.