How a 1989 film is more timely than ever
I was quite surprised to find some critics slam Dead Poets Society (DPS) as much as they did.
I thought it would be a mainstream nod of approval across the board, with resounding “Oh Captain! My Captain!” gusto. Alas, there will always be haters.
Having recently watched the beloved Robin Williams movie for the first time (you can blame the gigantic rock I was living under) I came away with it as you might expect: tears, delight, anger, understanding.
For fellow rock-dwellers, Dead Poets Society is set at Welton Academy, a private elite school for boys.
It’s a rigorous institution run by proud men touting its’ four pillars as often as they can muster: tradition, honor, discipline, and excellence. *yawn*
The instructors, save for one daring soul, conform to orthodox teaching methods and reject the idea of 17-year-old boys “thinking for themselves”.
Having hailed from a strict Catholic school myself, I empathized more than usual with the ragtag group the film centers on.
John Keating (played by Robin Williams) is an ex-pupil of the school and a new English teacher who adds a creative, bright pedagogy to the classroom.
From tearing up introduction pages in their textbook to encouraging them to stand on their desks, his methods serve to encourage individual thought and inspire the students to express themselves more boldly.
One day, the students learn that Keating, when he was a pupil himself, was part of a private club you guessed it, the film’s namesake.
The boys then decide to form their own Dead Poets Society, similarly dedicated to “sucking the marrow out of life”.
They would escape from their dorm rooms late at night to gather at an old Indian cave, passing around poems, pipes, and aspirations.
You’ll have to watch the film yourself to gain a thorough appreciation of it, though this synopsis serves as a basic understanding.
Because, even today, 32 years after its release… It remains a timeless classic we can draw from.
CARPE DIEM
A central premise to DPS, the age-old principle of Seize the Day has been touted to you no doubt through countless media: movies, books, podcasts, songs, even basic Instagram posts from that one girl you haven’t seen since high school.
How many times do you need to be exposed to a message before you actually apply it in your life?
Instead of putting it off till retirement, or when you have enough time and money, why not start today?
Carpe Diem, in its essence, encourages you to live boldly and brightly.
It encourages you to be unapologetically you.
The best part about this is that there’s no right way to live it out.
It’s completely up to you, you get to choose what it means to pluck the day when it’s ripe.
It could mean writing poetry and sharing it out loud even when it scares the shit out of you…
It could mean taking a solo adventure to get to know yourself…
It could mean enrolling in that program you’ve always wanted to…
It could mean picking up that instrument and strumming a tune…
It could mean cooking something that isn’t a boxed meal for once…
It could mean anything. You get the point.
Dead Poets Society reminds us that it’s in our best interest to live a voracious life.
INDEPENDENT THINKING
With a stifling education system, blaring media narrative, and compelling societal pressure, it can be quite a challenge to exercise free-thinking today.
Here’s my challenge to you: DO IT ANYWAY.
And no, this doesn’t mean adopting contrarian thought just to go against the norm or deeming everyone else a sheeple for behaving a certain way.
It means living your own life.
Steve Jobs put it beautifully when he said, “Don’t be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.”
Keating’s method of teaching in Dead Poets Society wasn’t dependent on rules or grades, it lied more on experiential knowledge and coaxing that inner voice out:
“No matter what anyone tells you, words and ideas can change the world.”
“Boys, you must strive to find your own voice. Because, the longer you wait to begin, the less likely you are to find it at all. Thoreau said, ‘Most men lead lives of quiet desperation.’ Don’t be resigned to that. Break out!”
Let it be a reminder or a continual prod to search for that unique perspective you can share with the world.
THE ARTIST
“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”
I don’t care if you code day and night, or sling lawsuits on the reg.
We’re all artists. *gasp I said it*
Since when did we decide to define ourselves through one singular task?
That hobby you keep hidden because it’s so different than your day job…
That indescribable interest you try to suppress because it serves no “logical purpose”…
Yeah, that’s the artist in you.
It’s not just the painter, lyricist, or actor archetype you conjure up when you think of the word.
It could also mean jeweler, chef, and traveler.
It’s the inherent creative energy you possess.
And it’s a waste to inhibit that.
Let yourself be curious and dabble in something new if this is a novel concept.
Consider reading this short piece, Implement The Slash to reframe your mindset.
Remember, there’s beauty in diversity, professionally and personally.
