Life as a School – Barry Emanuel Zeve

Question: What does Barry Zeve say about Life as a School?

According to Barry Emanuel Zeve’s perspective, life is fundamentally a school. God is the Teacher

Here are key aspects of this metaphor:

Enrollment and Graduation: Everyone is enrolled in the school of life at birth and graduates upon death

Death is the ultimate graduation. It can be an honor if you’ve done the work

The Teacher (God): God is the single Teacher in this school

He teaches everyone, regardless of their desire to learn. The Teacher’s curriculum is sometimes beyond human understanding. He uses various teaching styles, including miracles and afflictions, to help students learn. He is always present and watching

The Student (You): You are the student, and the primary subject is yourself

. Life is specifically a school of self-love. The goal is to achieve a Ph.D. in “me”. Your own efforts, curiosity, and attitude are crucial to your learning and grades

Curriculum and Lessons: Daily experiences, challenges, pain, and suffering are all lessons from the Teacher

The curriculum progresses and gets harder as you advance. Learning is a continuous process, happening 24/7, without weekends, holidays, or vacations

Grades and Evaluation: Students receive grades based on their efforts and how they navigate their lessons

Humiliation, shame, and embarrassment can be driving forces for learning and improving grades. God grades students

Homework and Study: You must do your homework daily, which involves studying yourself and life experiences

Religious texts (Torah, Gospels, Quran) serve as spiritual textbooks, lab classes, and final exams for this school

Classmates: Everyone else in the world is also a student in the same school

You can learn from others, but your primary focus should be on your own learning and grades, not comparing yourself or judging others. There are disruptive students, referred to as “bozos at the back of the room,” who hinder the learning process

Levels of Education: The school of life has various levels, akin to nursery school, elementary, junior high, high school, college, university, and a graduate program culminating in a Ph.D.

Different levels correspond to different stages of spiritual development

Overarching Metaphor: The metaphor of life as a school is presented as the main or most encompassing metaphor that includes other ways of viewing life, such as a garden, family, journey, sport, or institution

Life viewed as an insane asylum or hospital represents states of not learning or being disruptive in class

The purpose of this perspective is to encourage personal growth, self-understanding, and the pursuit of wisdom, love, and loyalty to oneself and life, ultimately preparing for the final evaluation at the time of death