Our Cult of Smart (Part 1)

To our self-styled “academics” and “well-educated” readers,

   I am glad to see that our last piece hasn't scared you away.  

   That being said, I would like to start this entry by telling you a story. A story about an archetype. A person that has a pattern of behavior that we are all too familiar with. 

 Who knows, this might even be someone that is near and dear to both me and you alike. So, for the sake of anonymity, let’s call this mutual friend of ours “አቻም የለሽ”.

The Archetype

   አቻም የለሽ is young, likely born to parents that are either well educated or place a high value on modern education. Like most of us, she was brought up to believe that education trumps everything. That academic performance is not only important but necessary. Especially for financial security. 

 And because of her upbringing, our mutual friend is well acquainted with the idea that being a great student is not only important. She also believes  that the road to academic success is paved by virtues like conviction, perseverance and hard work. 

   In due time, አቻም የለሽ starts living up to her name and begins to enjoy the fruits of her rotely labor; slowly ascending her class’s ranking system and outperforming her peers. She quickly begins to realize that there are more benefits to being a good student than meets the eye. Inevitably, she will start indulging in the familial praises, academic prizes and social admiration that are given to those that possess her talent; her potent mix of compliance, competition and habitual memorization. 

   If አቻም የለሽ continues to excel, she is likely to feel entitled to the status and social benefits that are given to students like herself. But if she fails to do so, she will most likely be ridiculed for her “failures” or, at the very least, be incessantly compared to her peers or siblings. Either way, our mutual friend has learned an important lesson; that academia in general and academic performance in particular will always be a shorthand for her value and self-worth. 

 Sounds familiar, doesn't it?  

   This archetype of a model student, where students are as much competitive and meticulous as they are obedient and imperceptible, has taken a life of its own; informing the actions, expectations and world view of not only the students of today. But also those pupils of the past that have now become parents. 

   And, as my dear reader will know very well, this idea of a model student is not something new to those of us that have been educated in Ethiopia. For our archetype is also informed by our tendency to confuse academic success with respectability and social status. As አቤ ጉበኛ sarcastically put it: 

“ትምህርት ራስን ከሌሎቹ መለያ ፤ ተምሬአለሁ ማለት የመንጠቂያ መሣሪያ ነው ብላችሁ የተረጎማችሁት ይመስለኛል። ላርማችሁ እንዳልል የሊቅነታችሁን ወሰን መጣስ ሊሆንብኝ ነው።”

(1956)

Our Cult of Smart

  Before discussing this pretentious attitude of ours, we should touch upon the work of Fredrik deBoer. In his influential work, the Cult of Smart, deBoer sought to identify the unmistakable signs of our misguided ideas about academia. As he put it: 

“There will indeed be some economic benefits to reaching the highest rungs of academia. But the real prize of academic success is your membership in the aspirational class.”

(2020)

  A policy expert and an educator himself, deBoer’s efforts to understand and critique a culture like ours, one that obsessively evaluates a person through their educational credentials and academic success, should not be overlooked. For his definition, descriptions and commentary on this issue are very applicable to our country’s  academic culture. 

 For example, deBoer uses the word “cult” to denote many things. And although the conventional definition of this word is “a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion”, it can also be used to describe a broader sentiment. One of devotion, subservience and inflated zeal. Where people seek to admire, place an exaggerated importance on or are greatly devoted to something or someone. 

   I don't know about you my dear reader but I tend to think of this second definition when I come across this word. Maybe it’s the Ethiopian in me, as this definition is similar to the Amharic translation of “cult” as: “በሙሉ ሁለንተና የሚቀርብ ማጎብደድ፣ መተናነስ፣ ስግደት፣ ወይም መገዛት።” 

  In any case, these ideas of zealous belief,  unquestioned dogma and unforgiving hierarchy can also be used to describe another word.  A word that, incidentally, goes hand in hand with our cult of smart. And that word is elitism. And what are some of the elitist behaviors associated with our educated few? I’m glad you asked. 

 Our Elitist Traits

  Whilst deBoer does mention a few, it would be interesting to see just how many of these traits you can recognize. And not to worry, I am sure you will find them to be very common in your academic circles,  family gatherings and even your workplaces.  

   For example, have you ever heard the phrase, "assortative mating"? It’s the tendency to only want to marry and have children with those that have the same educational and economic background as oneself. Don’t be surprised, surely you have heard the common phrase, “ሚመጥነኝን ሰው ነው ማግባት ምፈልገው”። 

   Or maybe you have noticed the custom of weighing the competitiveness and exclusivity of your academic institution when you meet new people? Where you are judged not by your ability to critically reflect on matters of import but rather by your connection to certain privileged institutions. i.e. on whether you have been vetted by the right type of people and institutions. No? Maybe this will jog your memory: “በትንሽ ነገር ተነስቶ የአዲስ አበባን ወይም የውጪ ሀገርን ዲግሪ ማሳደድ፣ ማበላለጥ ወይም ማምለክ”። 

  Or how about the excessive need to use words that you are uncertain of just to show others that you have been exposed to the right ideas and thinkers? Where you signal your level of education not by what you contribute to a conversation but rather by how you use English as another one of your measuring sticks? Let's call this one “የ ባይዘዌይ፣ ዩ አር ዌልካም እና ጉራማይሌ አባዜ”።   

   Or maybe you have heard those in your educated social circles incessantly use the phrase “የተማረ ይግደለኝ”, where they associate being educated with having a worldview that is just and equitable. Mind, my dear reader, who these educated and “fair-minded” people employ in their own households. Ask how much they pay them. Or, better yet, ask how old these servants of theirs are. And if they are, as is commonly the case, employing underage girls, ask them why they do this. And sit back as they justify exploiting child labor for the chance of, yes you guessed it, granting them educational opportunities.   

  Where, I ask you, is the just, equitable and educated person in this arrangement?

  I think you would agree, my dear reader, that the cult of smart, in all of its elitist, self-righteous and hollow glory, has made our beloved country its permanent home. And if you are still not convinced of the unquestioned acceptance and widespread popularity of this way of thinking, then reading ከበደ ሚካኤል’s parable “የአንድ ዐዋቂ መልስ” or reading the following quote from ዳኛቸው ወርቁ might do the trick: 

“I, the educated man, am the greatest of oddlings. Before filth I hold my nose with my fingers. Before injustice I hold my peace.”

(1973)

Click Here For Part 2 of “Our Cult of Smart”