To Every Creative Teen, Here's Why Studying the Humanities ISN'T Pointless
Hello beautiful! I hope you are having an amazing day! I know that a lot of people are going back to school now, so I thought that now would be a good time to write another post about academics, more specifically: the divide between STEM and the humanities in high school and beyond. Humanities is often seem as less important and less practical in the "real world," but today, I want to speak to all of the teens interested in a humanistic discipline and explain my point of view for why that is not the case. But first, here's my experience with the STEM compared to the humanities in school.
My family has always pushed me to go into a career in science, specifically medicine. Whenever I suggested that I might be interested in something different, like history, they were always quick to shut it down and remind me that I was supposed to be a doctor.
I was never really opposed to the idea of a career in STEM; I love biology and it did always come really naturally to me. The humanities, specifically English, were difficult for me in elementary and middle school, and performing routine operations in math or science class to get the answer just made more sense to me. Still, I wasn't comfortable with the fact that they were deciding my future for me, even if it was one that I would be happy with, especially because I thought I was trapped in this one career.
Ever since starting at my new high school, I feel like I've been reborn as a humanities person. I still enjoy science and math, but now, I can be a different version of myself in English and History classes. I have a new appreciation for the ways in which we learn about the human experience.
I can see myself pursuing a career in both STEM and the humanities, and I've learned so much from my teachers about some of the main pillars of vastly different subjects, from sonnets to cellular biology.
Now that I've established my background, I want to address the main tension that I've noticed between STEM and the humanities. Not only are humanities vocations viewed as easier and less demanding that STEM, but also, careers in the humanities are often considered pointless when compared to STEM.
Let me just speak from personal experience about that first point: humanities are easier than subjects like math and science. I think that the logic behind this claim is flawed because it doesn't leave room for subjectivity. Many people say that with science or math, there is only one correct answer and everything else is simply incorrect while with the humanities, there can be many answers to one question based upon who you ask.
Two completely different fields of study are being analyzed as if they are the same, and that's what gives the humanities this reputation of being easy. As a student who struggled with writing essays for english and history but excelled in STEM, I would argue that this subjectivity that is unique to the humanities is exactly what makes them difficult.
There are countless ways to answer one question, and you have to use eloquent and persuasive language to explain why your point of view is the one that should be deemed accurate. For students that excel in math and science, who see academics in strictly black and white or correct and incorrect, defending a single point of view is difficult when there are many other perspectives that could also be considered correct.
Now, for the second claim: careers in the humanities are pointless. Yes, it's true that careers in STEM can literally help to change the world in ways like curing cancer or developing systems for more sustainable energy. But that doesn't make the humanities any less valuable.
If we didn't have historians, who would tell us when history was repeating itself? Without authors and journalists, how would we educate ourselves on the state of the world that we live in? We can appreciate science and math, but we also have to acknowledge that the humanities are indispensable in todays world.
Recently, I saw a quote that inspired me to write this post: "STEM without humanities is how you get mad scientists." It reminded me that these two disciplines don't have to be mutually exclusive. We need both to live in our world, because they both exist within each other. Statistics are used as context for historical and anthropological studies. Morals and philosophy are a major factor in carrying out a scientific experiment.
It's time we start treating both of these disciplines and the people that pursue them with equal respect. I feel fulfilled when I read, write, and act, and I regret that I didn't start sooner. I know that if I had felt that these fields were "rigorous enough," I would have started much earlier and chased after many more opportunities when I was younger.
I still have most of my life ahead of me, but I still mourn the years that I spent never thinking that I could write for a living, so I want to stop that from happening to kids, teens, and young adults out there.
This chapter of our lives is for finding ourselves and our passions. No matter what you enjoy, pursue it. Whether you have a new algebraic theorem or a new perspective on history to offer to the world, your contribution is valued. Never let anyone tell you that it isn't.
Remember, if you ever need a hand, girl, let me help!
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