Peter Thiel EDUCATES College Professor who asks: "What's your problem with higher education?" 

This isn't him kicking ass or anything, this is just a professor asking reasonable questions, and getting reasonable answers. This isn't a schooling or anything. This is nothing but polite conversation, which is good.

Really surprised Thiel constricted himself to an economic argument for higher education reassessment, rather than the indoctrinary content of the education itself, as he so eloquently and prophetically spoke of some 20-odd years ago.

I recall a book from decades ago: "The Case Against College"

I'm afraid that the only ones with a positive view of the curt state of academia are tenured professors and administrators.

Interesting but it's still an investment because the dividends pay well more than the cost and college graduate make for more than dropouts. Also just because Harvard is exclusive, don't their graduates make far more? If so it's justified.

wow...hit the nail on on the fucking head

the antagonistic title is not appropriate to the situation in the clip at all.

Gotta love click-bait titles, they're such a rarity on RU-vid nowadays.

Imagine Thiel's "um" and Elon Musk's stutter, that kind of meeting you had in Paypal old days

Thiel is a breath of fresh air.

My debt was $70k for college and I went to a state school. I graduated with a masters and when I tried to get a job it didn’t matter that I had the advanced degree. It was a humbling experience

"value of elite education is excluding people" this guy is such a great philosopher

This guy is super intelligent

Peter is very thoughtful and insightful obviously. Looking back my university life was very much like a tournament, it was more about competing with others and winning at exams than about learning things that were concretely useful and needed in society. It wasn't so much like an insurance product when I was at uni (2000-2005), but I imagine it has become like that now.

But employers still see this insurance as a necessity when hiring. If we see this as a demand side problem from the employers then it is very difficult to change unless the society figures out a better way for the employers to gauge people's abilities.

Thiel is very much like Elon Musk (Who he worked with int the past): He can formulate Ideas very well and understandable. Notice the nervous laughter by the professor at the end. He knows its the truth but he himself would never acknowledge this publicly.

Nervous laughter

I regard my college "education" as the biggest waste of time and money of my life. HOWEVER, I needed the _certification_ to get the job I have, which is its only value. If you need the certification, go to the cheapest college you can get your hands on. I had all of my student loans paid off in 20 months after graduating in 1993.

I have a high school diploma and sometimes become annoyed with myself that I didn’t become more educated in something, BUT we are all going to have to “work “ in life. All areas. I agree with the insurance policy idea. You can have a wonderful career but still have to deal with people, take care of your health, pay bills, endure being a parent, possibly take care of parents...I think we have a generation of folks who fail to realize the fact that life changes constantly. Nothing is wrong with that either. This not a bottom line opinion, but still something to think about.

Hate to say this, but this guy made some very good points.

Peter Thiel is absolutely my intellectual, moral, and personal hero and role model.

nobody in this video was 'educated' by anyone. it was a legit question which was answered very well, and you could see how positively the professor reacted to thiel's answer.

He nailed it re: tournament. This is also why schools like Harvard were grade boosting. Everyone who gets in can congratulate themselves on how special they are. It's a great scam.

He’s spot on. I work at a tech startup based out of Edinburgh Uni’s campus. Courses are marketed with glossy brochures and posters but the cost vs value of those courses is questionable.

Nervous laughter from the prof. Nothing from the audience.

Thank you for sharing this!

I think the insurance analogy is fucking great. Perfect, why didnt I think of that already.

Peter Thiel remains very polite, but his point is clear. Universities assign too much value to themselves thinking the very high tuition fees and subsequent student debt are justified. Higher education too often does not pay the bills as underemployed people know very well.

There is so much Truth in these 6 minutes. Holy cow, Peter Thiel hit the nail on the proverbial head. Very insightful. College has become, largely, an insurance policy. Also excellent point about going to college to avoid falling through the cracks in society. "Why have the cracks in our society gotten so big?" Excellent question. Curious what Peter's answer to this is.

com'on man......the professor is so kind and gentle and Thiel's reply so articulate .....

Peter is right on. The answer is NO , Universities, for the most part, are not providing value for the enormous cost. Investment into your future should provide "career ready" training! Get rid of all the fluff and liberal arts BS. Train people in actual skills and soft skills. Get rid of teacher unions and stop paying all of the elitist to do research and actually teach something that people can use in their future.

I moved to Germany and bounced on all my loans. I'm doing much better here without the chains of American debt.

I just HAD to downvote because of the clickbaitey title, which takes the otherwise great video and discussion out of context. I really hate when posters do that. A good video doesn't need these tricks.

I don't know why it's hard to understand that the more state and federal money you give to colleges and even the health care system, the more they will charge because they know they can exponentially get more and more to cover it. So, stop wondering why health care and education costs keep rising drastically.

Why have the cracks in society gotten so big that people are spending it all on insurance incl formal education as an insurance policy - Brilliant question.

Gave a thumbs down only because of the misleading title

I never once would have imagined someone would compare an ivy league college with a popular night club.

As I have heard it said time and again "IF YOU CAN`T DO YOU TEACH"

I love debating (pretty much anything) with college graduates, and wiping the floor with them and their "higher education." I never finished high school, in fact I never even started... the last year I completed was the 8th grade. (I was expelled... twice) So how is it I know anything at all about Physics, Chemistry, and Biology? (I especially love particle physics... because I'm weird like that) I educated my self, just like anyone else can... but for some reason most don't or won't. (because they don't desire knowledge... they only desire money) It comes down to desire, exclusively... I wanted to learn, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop that. (once I decided that was what I actually wanted) Most people haven't yet decided that they want to learn anything of any value. Most people only want money, and any shortcut to get them there is all they really desire. That is why colleges and universities are doing so well, and why graduates are doing so poorly... their only motivations are for money, Not an education. These days, an education is completely free... degrees are not. (and the two are no longer synonymous with each other) We need a less selfish way to motivate people... because money just isn't working for the people anymore... the people are working for the money. Money is the master, and we are the slaves.

Really interesting. Thank you.

Rational civil discourse - Thiel nails the modern business of universities promoting salary growth at the exclusion of student value.

Thiel gives really good and thoughtful answers. But he avoided the equally good and thoughtful answer that the problem with higher education is it has turned from an environment of reasoning and thinking to an indoctrination and activist training camp. He probably hasn't studied this the way Jordan Peterson has enough to know this.

My wish for 2019: CAPITAL LETTERS BANNED ON RU-vid

We spend too much on insurance in America.

Anything and everything that piques your curiosity and interest can be self taught - I am the CEO and chief engineer of my own company without a degree that I've built over the course of 20 years - it's your aptitude and desire to discover that drives your practical education

Dude, I agree with you, but if you say "um" one more time.....

Colleges never want to talk a out college debt...never. but they love to talk about trump.

click bait title he doesn't educate no one he just gives his opinion which is the same in all interviews where he talks about college

I own a tutoring center and prepare students for the SAT and ACT. Peter Thiel is absolutely correct about the whole college decision-making process. Brilliant analysis.

The question is what are our alternatives as young individuals?

Best commentary on current American elite educational system I have experienced yet..

4:30 that's a nice way of saying that you just put up with college (though you don't learn anything there) because demanding IQ tests as an employer is forbidden - while giving the job to college grads only is allowed (and you don't have to explain how your job requieres the degree either).

that's one of the most insightful things I've ever seen in my life...

Student debt is just a form of social engineering, mainly but not exclusively for the middle class. It’s one of the ways the federal government ensures pursuit of higher education into the utilitarian/vocational fields. But because the costs are so distorted now, alternatives to higher education in utilitarian/vocational fields are causing a shift away from universities and toward community colleges and online training. I have an engineering graduate degree that was very expensive. I work with many other engineers who have not graduated from college or who went to community colleges. It’s made me rethink engineering education altogether. Even when I was getting my degree, I wondered why this type of education couldn’t be better structured as a much simpler set of vocational training.

Wow! So friggin true, Peter Thiel.

When the gov subsidizes a product, the price jumps, school loans and home loans are both back by the gov.

Great question, brilliant answer.

Equating College with Insurance is an extremely useful observation. I bet the majority of people attending are actually doing it out of fear or not doing it.

(1:10) "Well, ya know....it's ummm...It's a, ummm, ummmm.. It's a ......" It's a guy who had a TON of fuckin' caffeine, it what it is!! NEXT!!

Thiel: "Elite" Universities are like a studio 54"..."are students investing in a degree or consuming a product from universities?" Professor: *Maniacally laughs* 😈 . This is the condensed representation our university system.

It’s definitely a consumption good, in large part. That’s also why tuition has gone up so much - colleges continually add “features” to their college life and infrastructure offerings to appeal to wealthy families, but make everyone pay for them, which has raised not just the price but also the goods snd services delivered with annual tuition. The trouble is that many of the students would _never_ buy all of those things if they had the choice, given their personal or family budget. Fancy new apartments, daily takeout or prepared food for every meal, luxurious study spaces, museums, and landscaping, etc. Forcing people to pay for all of that nonsense is what’s driving tuition through the roof. So it’s definitely a consumption good, with a small amount of investment/insurance. Like doing a professional continuing-education course on a Caribbean island - it’s mostly about the vacation, isn’t it?

Yea, the fact that you made an argument about appropriateness, just implies your lack of knowledge/understanding of the marketing world.

Nowadays you can get a bachelors or masters online from accredited ACCELERATED universities, without stepping into a class room. And, they are super cheap, like $4k for 6 month period. No book costs, etc. The best part is they are way, way faster than brick-n-mortar as in "get a bachelors in 2 years while you work at the same time" lol its being changed up, dony worry peter puffer.

Please excuse me if my comment is off topic a bit. In phrasing his first question, the professor gives us a hint into one of the signigficant issues with higher education. He says " ... I'm tenured so I can say what I want ... ". Tenured (definition) "having or denoting a permanent post, especially as a teacher or professor." Tenured professors have permanent positions. I'm sure arguements can be made on why this is a good thing. However as one working in the private sector I see tenure as an excuse for not having to compete. Competition brings out the best of us and concern with losing one's job is highly motivating. As a U.S. citizen, I have the freedom to say what I want. My private sector employer also has the right to fire me if I say something that those who run the company disagree with. Many in academia don't live in the real world. What line would a tenured professor have to cross to lose his/her job?

Well said Mr. Thiel

I could not understand insurance policy part...what does he mean when he says crack in American society...inequality of income based on education qualification?? Social status of higher education???

Insurance and a tournament. That's an astute observation.

OOFF Your degree is insurance, not an investment. RIGHT ON THE HEAD. My parents rub shoulders with people buying million dollar homes right on the golf course in the richest areas and they all leave their degrees lying out on coffee tables. Many of them dropped out, a couple got GEDs, and almost none of them say that the knowledge learned in universities made a difference in their career. It's a stamp of approval that you can use later to pull rank, not a true sign of education. It's better to have insurance and not need it than vice versa, however I've seen it crush the independence of really bright kids who never stopped to question the real value of their degree. A huge shakeup to education is coming this generation, I wonder how many lawsuits will be sought by kids to wipe their now useless debt

Peter makes a logical business point about a produce/service. Tenured professor laughs nervously because he's fucking clueless.

The problem with current universities isnt creativity or innovation, or those things not being nourished or sustained. Its punishing independent thought. But more than anything it is an order of operations problem. We take children, at their most self righteous, narcissistic, and immature, and tell them: "you have more status than a plumber." And so we graduate children who can't bake a loaf of bread, change the oil in their car, or fix a broken propane grill and tell them: "go make 500k a year." Peter Thiel says: "how about you do something, and then tell the world what you are worth."

I am a Student at a Montessori University and I dont know what to think of it. I am 25 years old and I just want some structure. I want to study for exams and write Essays but we have to come up with our scedule by our selves. It is very weird tbh.

Weirdly the USA is just starting to realize that prehaps charging students 40 000$ a year isn't the best of ideas, like that's something nobody has ever thought about before...

Omg this gentleman is a great thinker

The cost benefit analysis is very helpful, but it was never the real reason we have universities, it was to educate people so that they could lead fuller lives. There are a lot of benefits to that, for both students and society, and it needs to be reasonably affordable. But what became the motto was basically that if you invested in your university education, you would get an unearned dividend in salary above what you paid, and often for sitting at a desk where you did not even directly use the education you had earned. Peter knows all this and has said he would still go, if he had it to do again. In his case he wants to be in on the big hits that advance society and technology, and that is tough to do without education.

Very intelligent conversation. But a conversation, not a schooling. Bull shit title. Im getting sick of click bate titles especially when the subject matter is interesting enough, regardless.

Thiel's comment about college education being like insurance is apt. People are so terrified of the cost of health care that they spend a huge percentage of their income on health insurance premiums, while, at the same time knowing that pre-existing conditions, co-pays and spiralling costs mean that insurance companies, in the case of an illness or injury, will do their hardest to avoid covering those costs, to protect their profits. Most understand that the labour market is not able to provide an adequate number of high paying jobs to absorb the supply of graduates, so many will be faced with the reality that they will never be able to discharge their student debt. This situation will only get worse as automation and AI further decrease the labour market.

So he basically says: "We need more people who are educated in Lesbian Dance Theory and Genderstudies..."

This wasn't a shade from the professor to how ignorant Thiel is nor was it schooling from Thiel to how ignorant the professor is. The professor just wanted to understand and Thiel gave that.

Dude just blew my fucken mind. Uni as an insurance tournament? Talk about hunger games.

ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qTPOBEdc7OI.html This is the link from actually already 22 years ago, where Thiel talks about it brilliantly.

University was suppose to prepare us for the future in industry, instead, it is used to tell us about Jews and Romans with a splash of African suffering and American obsessions around the world. The new york times can tell me all theses if i wanted to know.

wow I have been thinking about most of these questions in the exact same ways, I wish I had seen this video earlier

Why does tuition cost so much ? They are teaching the same things every year. Surely the professors could put everything on video and teach a hundred thousand students. It is a scam exploiting young peoples naivety and dreams for their future.

Higher education is great, Higher schooling is perhaps the greatest waste of time and money available.

Wow, this is truly eye-opening. That's coming from a person with 2 higher educations, by the way, no sarcasm

There are problems with American Universities, that is why I preferred to study abroad.

academia, societies view of insurance for financial security that act as gatekeepers to a better life and ultimately disenfranchises the the overwhelming majority of society.

Thiel missed the subtle insult about his "jaundiced view." He should have said at the start, "No, that's false. I have a clear view."

Thumbs down for the antagonistic title. It's not appropriate for this clip at all.

funny the thing is this generation don't have to give a fuck about that debt cause the the financial system is gonna go down in a few years and state FIAT currencies will be replaced by decentralized cryptos like btc, ltc, dash... but yeah it is a problem for 90% jobs college lost its meaning

I think Thiel is not corect on this one.Not everyone wants to pursue business,someone wants to work on research...

Then the problem isn't college per se but the exorbitant cost. This can be mostly avoided by attending a 2 year community college then transferring to a 4 year university. This is exactly what my oldest daughter did and she has very little debt. She is now a fully funded grad student at one of the top universities in the country. It's also possible to just get an associates degree, which also significantly increases one's earning potential. I get tired of people like Thiel who earned advanced degrees from top universities telling everyone else that college is not worth it. Thanks but no thanks. Stick to tech my friend and leave this other stuff to the relevant experts. Just like I'm not interested in his advice on politics or medicine.

I don't think the professor gets, nor cares about Peter's analogy. He has tenure. What does he care.

man, this guy makes a lot of sense

The MBA, for example, doesn't just cost $100k, that's just the tuition, not the interest on the loan. The total cost is $200k or more. For $200k you can purchase a few a apartments, or a cash flowing business, and if you want to use the cash flow to fund your degree then go ahead. But aren't you putting the cart before the horse by spending $200k to become a "master of business"? Reminds me of CEOs who bought the position, rather than getting their organically. It's fake, it's phony. The chickens will come home to roost. Who the fuck would want someone working for their company who thought it was a good idea to leverage 200K in debt with no cash flow?

Dude... Relax ;-) (just watchin' ya is stressing me out)

N.B. Clickbait title == NOT subscribed (on principle, and I'm sure I'm not alone in this)

MAKE THE WORKERS WATCH THE HISTORY CHANNEL... In the break room perhaps, No University necessary

Peter uhm Thiel uhm uhm is not uhm very uhm aa uhm pleasant to uhm and uhm aa uhm to uhm a to listen to. Uuuahm.

He hums and haws too much. He is better when he is speaking from a prepared paper.