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Taught Nothing but Learnt Everything

It's ironic how the education system taught me nothing but, looking back, taught me everything. It just wasn’t what they intended.

I have no idea about the life cycle of fruit-fly or the job of the mitochondria – I don’t even really know what that word is or how to spell it.

What those lessons taught me though was that being bad at one thing – or, more specifically, not regurgitating the textbook in a written exam – was punished.

Being resourceful (like getting specialist help to do the specialist task) was punished.

(Although James probably shouldn’t have photocopied his homework and stuck my name at the top, to be fair.)

I was good at music and entertaining but I wasn’t allowed to entertain. That had “no future”!

Being creative and thinking differently was not on the agenda. But that taught me everything. It explained why people are stuck in life. Why people can’t think for themselves.

It’s why I hated school, got terrible grades, and am thick as shit. But I know who isn’t – I know who is good at their specialism.

That’s why, knowing nothing and not following the rules of the curriculum, I’ve gathered the right team, motivated them, given them a vision and principles to work towards, and we’re now a company worth £300m.

Thanks, formal education.

You taught me nothing, but I learned everything.

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