If we look at the world leaders, nobody has a degree in leading a nation. Most are lawyers. Even if we look at Christine LaGarde, she too is a lawyer running around threatening nations to give up foreigners or they will be banished from the world club while she sits in the Troika dictating the future of Europeans politically and economically, yet she again has no degree in what she is doing.
The question that rises to the surface is clearly what good is a degree when you cannot get one to be a world leader, politician, hedge fund manager, portfolio manager, or just about anything other than a doctor, lawyer or a civil engineer?
Geniuses typically clash with their teachers because teachers do not encourage original thought as several studies have shown. Teachers want kids who obey and follow orders. Winston Churchill was terrible in school yet without him Hitler would have died in a retirement home. Albert Einstein’s teacher famously decreed he would amount to nothing. Here is what Gandhi had to put up with:
When Mahatma Gandhi was studying law at the University College of London, a professor, whose last name was Peters, disliked him intensely and always displayed animosity him.
Also, because Gandhi never lowered his head when addressing him as he expected, there were always “arguments” and confrontations.
One day, Mr. Peters was having lunch at the dining room of the University, and Gandhi came along with his tray and sat next to the professor. The professor said,”Mr Gandhi, you do not understand. A pig and a bird do not sit together to eat.”
Gandhi looked at him as a parent would a rude child and calmly replied, “You do not worry professor. I’ll fly away,” and he went and sat at another table.
Mr. Peters, reddened with rage, decided to take revenge on the next test paper, but Gandhi responded brilliantly to all questions.
Mr. Peters, unhappy and frustrated, asked him the following question:
“Mr Gandhi, if you were walking down the street and found a package, and within was a bag of wisdom and another bag with a lot of money, which one would you take?”
Without hesitating, Gandhi responded,
“The one with the money, of course.”
Mr. Peters, smiling sarcastically said,
“I, in your place, would have taken the wisdom.”
Gandhi shrugged indifferently and responded,
“Each one takes what he doesn’t have.”
Mr. Peters, by this time was fit to be tied. So great was his anger that he wrote on Gandhi’s exam sheet the word “idiot” and gave it to Gandhi.
Gandhi took the exam sheet and sat down at his desk, trying very hard to remain calm while he contemplated his next move.
A few minutes later, Gandhi got up, went to the professor and said to him in a dignified but sarcastically polite tone, “Mr. Peters, you autographed the sheet, but you did not give me the grade.”
