I decided I was done with school after my junior year. Its primary function was to hold me back and prevent me from creating the life I want. It’s been almost a year since I last sat in a classroom and I’ve learned a lot.

The Only Way to Argue is by Creating

When I first dropped out, it was my goal to convince everyone and anyone I made the right decision. I wrote daily aggressive Facebook posts. Dropping out almost always came up in any in-person conversation. I felt like a Holy Crusader.

Nobody cared.

In fact, they naturally became annoyed. Nobody wanted to hear me talk about how stupid school is—they’d heard it five times.

Fast forward several months and I was a Praxis participant moving to Austin, Texas to work at a startup with a salary most don’t see till their mid-20s.

People started to notice. “How exactly are you able to afford this new lifestyle?” an old friend texted me. The Facebook rants were replaced with intelligent blog posts and photo evidence of awesome.

I learned that the only way to argue is to argue by creating. Talking about a good decision means nothing compared to making a life evidence of the good decision. This applies to anything.

School Is Bad For Everyone

When I first dropped out I said “School is good for some people. It’s just not good for me.”

I’ve completely changed my stance. Public high school is bad for everyone. Every bright young professional would do well to drop out and start their life. They’ll be years ahead of their peers.

School holds people back. It kills innovation and creativity because it trains the mind to believe going beyond the guidelines is a problem. It creates a persmission mindset because it has all the answers to tests and questions, unlike the real world. 

When my peers graduate college I’ll have worked in my desired industry for years, have skills and knowledge that can’t possibly be gained in a university, and have connections most people don’t make until they’re 30.

Self-Assertiveness is Everything

I’m reading Nathaniel Brandon’s “Six Pillars of Self-Esteem” and just finished a chapter on self-assertiveness. Basically, it’s sticking to your values and desires and not compromising in the face of scrutiny or criticism.

Saying “I’m thinking of dropping out” was like jumping into a volcano of criticism. Actually doing it was like an eruption.

Friends, family, teachers, mentors, and everyone in between all had the same response. “Do not do this.” It didn’t matter how effectively I explained the decision. If I dropped out, I’d seriously screw up my life, period.

I had to completely assert my own values and desires to go ahead with the decision. If I succumbed to the endless stream of disapproval and argument, I’d be sitting in a classroom right now.

Hell no.