When it comes to the most important topics, modern schools teach about things, but they don't teach things themselves.

Learning about philosophy, art, religion, psychology, and the "liberal arts" is limited to just learning the history of those things, but we're never actually told what's true or not, just what people in the past thought about it.

I think the general idea that schools subconsciously promote is that nothing objectively true can be said about those topics the same way we talk about "math" or "science", even though mathematic and scientific theories are often really speculative at the higher levels.

By obsessing over phenomenon instead of teaching principles, we're left with the impression that truth is created subjectively throughout history by people who want power and influence. We're kind of encouraged to invent our own truths and live by our feelings, since there's no standard of totally "real" truth anyway.

I read a lot of ancient texts for fun and one thing I notice is the clarity they have compared to modern writings. They had a worldview that brought every aspect of the human experience into one big picture that was all connected. It wasn't like modern ideologies, it's hard to explain why but they seem way fuller.

Anyways, I think the best thing for a smart person to do is to spend a few years just reading old books instead of going to college. I basically started homeschooling myself on top of normal school a few years ago and it's amazing how much is actually out there that schools just gloss over or teach in a half assed way (or forget about completely). School is mostly a test of how much tedious busy work people are willing to put up with. It's like a factory that produces mediocrity. Anyone who takes life seriously or has an above average aptitude for something will be greatly wronged during some of their most important years going to school.